25.10.16
Public sector body ‘ready to take over’ ScotRail if issues persist
The Scottish government stands ready to take over the ScotRail franchise through the development of a new public sector body if problems with its performance continue, it has emerged.
ScotRail’s moving annual average (MAA) for performance has fallen from 90.3% to 89.6% since Abellio took over the franchise, prompting Transport Scotland to ask the company for an improvement plan.
Abellio holds the contract until 2025, but Transport Scotland can replace it at the ‘break-point’ halfway through in 2020.
The Scottish government confirmed yesterday that, using new powers awarded in March, Transport Scotland has started work to establish a public sector body to take over the franchise.
“We will ensure that a public sector bidder is ready should either we or Abellio ScotRail take steps to invoke the break-point in the current contract,” a spokesperson said.
Public sector bodies and publicly-owned companies are banned from bidding for franchised rail contracts under UK legislation. However, the power to allow them to bid for the ScotRail franchise was transferred to the Scottish government before the 2014 referendum.
A Scottish Labour spokesperson said the government could have “delivered a not-for-profit ScotRail in 2014” if it had frozen the tendering process until the powers were devolved.
An Abellio spokesperson said: “In Abellio we have long understood that the Scottish government had every intention of seeking a public sector bidder for the next ScotRail franchise.
“We remain fully focussed in getting on with the job of delivering a national railway fit for Scotland and our customers.”
Transport Scotland’s approach is in marked contrast to the DfT, which has rejected calls to intervene in GTR’s operation of the Southern franchise despite a fall in its MAA to 76%.
A recent Transport Select Committee report said the department should try to hold GTR accountable with a ‘clear and credible threat’ to terminate the contract.
(Image c. Alex Drennan)
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