SCOTRAIL has been fined more than £250,000 for failures to meet strict quality standards in the first test of Abellio's performance as the new franchise-holder.
Inspectors have fined ScotRail £265,282 for falling short in a number of performance indicators during July and September this year, including toilets, litter, shelters, CCTV and security.
Cash penalties or rewards are issued depending on performance against a benchmark under the service quality incentive regime, known as "Squire".
Since April, all fines collected by Transport Scotland are reinvested in the rail network.
The levy compares to an average of £144,000 per quarter during the final year under previous franchise holder, First.
ScotRail said this was due to stricter standards being imposed since Abellio took over the franchise from First in April this year.
The Squire inspection regime is one of the toughest quality monitoring regimes for the rail industry in the UK, with some of the target compliance levels now set as high as 97 or 99 per cent.
Squire inspectors audit 353 stations and approximately 200 trains every four weeks.
The inspections cover all stations in Scotland, with the exception of Prestwick International Airport, Lockerbie, Edinburgh Waverley and Glasgow Central Station, as ScotRail is not the lead operator at these stations.
Service areas inspected range from toilets and timetables to train cleanliness, graffiti, staff service and the public address system. Checks are undertaken against 35 station and on-train service quality areas, including whether train toilets are clean, functional and well stocked with items such as toilet paper and soap.
Train seats and luggage racks are also assessed to make sure that they are clean, fit for purpose and undamaged, while inspectors also score station staff on their customer service and whether they are dressed correctly with their uniform and name badges.
Tickets offices are expected to be open, with queues of five minutes or less and hearing aid induction loops for the deaf in order to pass an inspection.
Reports were previously released annually, but will not be published on a quarterly basis to give a more up-to-date record on ScotRail's performance.
A spokeswoman for ScotRail spokeswoman said: “We are pleased to have achieved an overall average score of 93 per cent, demonstrating that we are performing at an extremely high level.
“This new, tougher regime is about improving the customer experience at stations and on trains.
"The percentage targets in each category are mostly in the 80s and 90s and we remain absolutely committed to achieving these higher scores. We welcome the change that sees funds collected through Squire directly reinvested in the Scottish rail network.
“Our focus during the next quarter will be to accelerate our plans to repair station roofs, such as the work at Stirling at the moment, and to improve onward travel information as trains approach key interchange points. We are also spending upward of £20,000 each period repairing platforms and improving underfoot conditions for our customers.”
Transport minister Derek Mackay said: "Through the Squire programme the Scottish Government is already engaged in one of the most rigorous and effective assessments of any rail franchise in the UK.
"We are pleased to be working with Abellio ScotRail to uphold and improve upon the high standards that we set ourselves by not only running a clean, efficient and safe rail network, but one that also offers unprecedented levels of transparency for the consumer."
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