SCOTRAIL has been accused of “planning for failure” after announcing plans to confirm winter weather delays and cancellations a day in advance.
The train operator said it would tell passengers by 4pm on the preceding day when services will be scrapped or changed because of winter weather.
Critics said it was throwing in the towel instead of fighting to keep services running on time
The attack followed ScotRail promising to send “winter readiness” teams to key stations to meet customers and “help them prepare for travel this winter”.
Roadshows are planned in the next fortnight in Glasgow, Stirling, Dundee and Edinburgh.
The firm said the events were “an opportunity... to explain how weather can have a huge impact on trains and where some conditions make it too unsafe to run them”.
It added: “ScotRail has committed to update customers about any change or cancellation of services due to severe weather by 4pm on the day before.”
Record poor performance at ScotRail in recent months has increased calls for the Dutch firm Abellio to be stripped off its franchise early in 2022.
Scottish Labour
MSP Colin Smyth said: "ScotRail's performance is already the worst on record - and with winter coming it seems they are preparing for that performance to get even worse.
"More delays and cancellations will rightly infuriate passengers who already have to deal with ScotRail's failures on a regular basis.
"ScotRail should be doing everything it can to keep trains running."
Manuel Cortes, general secretary of the TSSA rail union, added: “Sadly, it looks like there is no end in sight for the misery that ScotRail passengers continue to endure.
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Phil Campbell, head of customer operations at ScotRail Alliance, said: “Winter weather can be challenging for everyone, whether it’s disruption to train services or even just getting to and from the station.
“ScotRail Alliance teams across the country will be working flat out to keep customers moving over the next few months – from snow ploughs travelling the network to colleagues gritting station platforms to keep them safe.
“These roadshows are another way for everyone to keep in touch with us. We hope lots of our customers will stop for a chat.”
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