HOLYROOD'S transport minister has moved to defuse the ongoing row over the proposed free week's rail travel, describing as "crass" claims about the departure of ScotRail's outgoing chief .
Announcing further details of the scheme, Humza Yousaf said some regular ScotRail users would receive complimentary return journeys anywhere in the country.
At a meeting of MSPs Mr Yousaf also said suggestions that Phil Verster, the outgoing head of ScotRail, had quit as a result of a disagreement with the Scottish Government were "absolutely false".
He denied there had been a disagreement over the use of the Service Quality Incentive Regime (Squire) railway improvement fund.
Mr Yousaf had been accused of failing to explain that the £3million pledge was contingent on ScotRail providing the bulk of the cash, the trains operator has said it was "pleased" to be contributing £1.8 of the costs.
He announced the offer in the immediate aftermath of the draft budget in November and again with the rise in fares in early January to compensate for disrupted journeys during the network's upgrading, as well as the hike.
Mr Verster's departure was announced days after his appearance in front of Holyrood's Rural Economy and Connectivity Committee during which he the fund, built up through penalties imposed for delays, stood at only around £1 million and had been earmarked for other initiatives.
He told MSPs that contractually the decision about where to invest funds "sits with Abellio ScotRail" and he "couldn't vouch'' for the scheme going forward.
Mr Yousaf told the committee Mr Verster had used "incorrect" figures, and the Squire fund actually sits at £2.06 million.
Liberal Democrat MSP Mike Rumbles said: "Phil Verster when he came here was quite clear and surprised the members of the committee, certainly surprised me, when he said that the contractual position is that the decision about where to invest the Squire fund sits with Abellio ScotRail, not with the Scottish Government, and this £1.8 million he said he had, quote, 'not agreed to' and then 48 hours later he resigns.
"Now you come to the committee to say, and I quote you again, 'we have the funding already in place'."
The minister responded: "The insinuation is the absolutely incorrect one. It is absolutely unfair to make a suggestion that because after Phil Verster's coming to committee that somehow he resigned as a result of that, that was the insinuation you were making - an absolutely incorrect one, an absolutely false one to have made and I think frankly a crass one to make as well."
He added: "Transport Scotland and ScotRail will come to an agreement on where to spend that money, contractually speaking it is up to Scottish ministers how that money should be spent but generally speaking, as we have always done, we will do that in consultation and discussion with ScotRail.".
The latest round in the ongoing issue of the politics of the country's railway network comes as ScotRail announces that additional offers would be made available to season ticket holders who switch to smart ticketing.
Annual season ticket holders on Smartcard would receive a free week for them or a friend/family member, plus two off-peak return trips anywhere in Scotland, while those on the monthly equivalent would get free week added to their next season ticket purchase, plus one off-peak return trip anywhere in Scotland.
Weekly season ticket holders on Smartcard will get a complimentary one day return ticket anywhere in Scotland, with ScotRail stating further offers for leisure passengers were "in the pipeline for later in the year".
Cathy Craig, commercial director of the ScotRail Alliance, said: "We are pleased to be contributing £1.8m of Squire funds for this significant benefit for passengers.
“We have ambitious plans to roll out our Smartcard offering and these additional incentives mean now is an ideal time to make the switch. We are now putting the finishing touches to the process that will enable our customers to claim their free rail travel quickly and easily."
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