THE crisis engulfing ScotRail deepened yesterday, as the Transport Minister agreed to make an emergency statement and the operators blamed the government for overcrowding.
Under growing pressure over ScotRail’s continued delays and shoddy performance, Humza Yousaf agreed to give MSPs an update in parliament this week on the future of the troubled franchise.
READ MORE: Letters - Cut Abellio some slack
At the same time, the Dutch-owned operators Abellio pushed back after Mr Yousaf stepped up his threat to re-nationalise the service - he revealed on Sunday that the Scottish Government had shell companies standing ready to take control of the contract whenever necessary.
Charlotte Twyning, Abellio UK’s Director of Policy, Strategy and Communications, said part of the blame for recent poor service lay squarely with the SNP government itself.
She said: “Any operator that runs the ScotRail franchise - public or private - does so to a tightly specified Scottish Government contract, which means that Ministers set fares and essentially determine how many seats are available and therefore how much overcrowding exists across the network.
"We acknowledge that the performance of the ScotRail Alliance is not good enough, but we are working hard with our clients - Transport Scotland and the Scottish Government - to make the changes necessary to improve the service to rail passengers.
"However, rail passengers are better served by organisations and individuals collaborating in customers' interests and not their own, and we encourage all parties to do so.”
In a sign of Abellio’s determination to fight back, the statement was issued by the lobbying firm Charlotte Street Partners, which has deep ties to the SNP establishment.
Kevin Pringle, the SNP’s former top spin doctor, is now working on the Abellio account.
After a morning of calls for him to make an emergency statement to parliament, Mr Yousaf issued his own statement yesterday afternoon.
He said: “I will be proposing to make a statement to Parliament this week so all parties can discuss how we improve our rail services.
“I also reiterate my offer to the rail unions, opposition politicians, and public sector organisations to meet me to discuss the possible shape of a public sector franchise bid.
READ MORE: Letters - Cut Abellio some slack
“I am prepared to work with anyone who is serious about improving rail services.
“I am focussed on holding ScotRail to account for improving journey times and services now and on delivering our longer term commitments to revolutionise rail travel in Scotland.
“ScotRail bosses have been left in no doubt about the need for improvements, and the seriousness of my intent."
The train drivers' union ASLEF last week called for Mr Yousaf to be sacked over his handling of ScotRail.
Labour's Neil Bibby said MSPs said commuters were “fast losing confidence” in the minister and deserved to hear how he planned to fix ScotRail.
He said: “Performance has deteriorated since ministers received an improvement plan in September, but to date Mr Yousaf appears to have been more interested in photo calls than providing answers to the travelling public. We need less spin and more substance.
“The Transport Minister's public statements under pressure have managed to start a war of words with both the rail unions and now Abellio.
“As Abellio has said, ministers ‘set fares and essentially determine how many seats are available and therefore how much overcrowding exists across the network’.
“This shambles is the SNP’s responsibility. As winter arrives, Mr Yousaf needs to focus on making sure his improvement plan makes services better - not worse - in the coming weeks.”
The Scottish Conservatives issued 10 questions asking Mr Yousaf to explain his “back of a fag packet” proposals for rail nationalisation, warning it may be impossible before 2022.
The questions cover the timing, costs, expertise, risks, penalty clauses, and capital funding involved in taking control of ScotRail, and the likely impact on the quality of the service.
READ MORE: Letters - Cut Abellio some slack
Tory finance spokesman Murdo Fraser said: “It's clear that Humza Yousaf's half-baked plan for rail nationalisation was cooked up in a TV studio in order to deflect attention away from his handling of the ScotRail contract. He is throwing a bone to the rail unions who have demanded his resignation."
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