SCOTRAIL has been ordered to get its service back on track by Christmas after chaos on the network linked to staff shortages and a new winter timetable.

SNP Transport Secretary Michael Matheson said he was “extremely disappointed” at the train operator’s serial failures, and told MSPs that he had berated managers over it.

He said he told Alex Hynes, managing director of ScotRail Alliance, and Dominic Booth, MD of franchise holder Abellio, they must take all steps necessary to make the system run smoothly over the festive period, as people travelled to be with family and friends.

Travellers have suffered more than a week of disruptions with hundreds of cancellations and complaints about overcrowded carriages and stops being skipped.  

An average of 80 trains a day have been cancelled in the first week of the new timetable, with 40 more cancellations today.

ScotRail cite staff shortages caused by training sessions on the winter timetable, snags and delays with new rolling stock, and an RMT industrial action over a pay dispute.

Mr Matheson was brought to the Holyrood chamber by an urgent question from Tory MSP Rachael Hamilton, who said ScotRail had been inflicting a “terrible service” on people.

She said chaos on the Borders Railway line had seen hard-working ScotRail staff bear the the brunt of passengers’ anger, adding: “This is unacceptable”.

She asked Mr Matheson: “Last weekend was the first proper weekend of the Christmas rush and ScotRail failed to step up to the mark. Has it already fallen at the first hurdle?”

Mr Matheson said the service on several parts of the network has been “unacceptable for passengers and the Scottish Government over the past few weeks”.

He said: “Instead of celebrating the provision of 65,000 additional weekday seats and more than 100 additional services per day following the recent introduction of the new timetable, I am extremely disappointed to again be speaking about unacceptable levels of cancellations.  

“I have made my position clear to Alex Hynes, who is the managing director of the ScotRail Alliance, and to Dominic Booth, who is the managing director of Abellio UK: ScotRail must take all action that is necessary to ensure that services return to schedule as soon as possible and that passengers begin to see the benefits of the new timetable.”

He said ScotRail had assured him it had a plan to address the cancellations, including more drivers and conductors, intensive training, and new “expert operational planning” expertise.

Mr Matheson said: “I have made it clear to ScotRail that restorative action rests entirely with it and I expect it to take whatever action is required to ensure that services return to normal as quickly as possible and run smoothly over the Christmas and New Year period, delivering the benefits of more seats and services on a consistently reliable basis.”

Labour MSP Colin Smyth criticised Mr Matheson was waiving his right to fine ScotRail for breaching its performance targets after it blamed Network Rail for many of its problems.

“Is it not time the Transport Secretary stopped bailing out ScotRail and started standing up for hardpressed rail passengers by demanding a proper remedial plan from ScotRail showing how - and crucially when - it will hit the performance targets that it is paid to hit?”

Mr Matheson said the rail regulator would publish a report on ScotRail’s attempts to improve its service in line with the recent Donovan Review on Wednesday.

Manuel Cortes, leader of the TSSA rail union, said: “Abellio ScotRail have been celebrating Christmas every day this year after Mr Matheson abdicated his responsibility and allowed them to win heads or tails when he waived his right to fine them.

“I know it goes against the grain, as so far he has let them off scot free. But Matheson should be more like Scrooge going forward and demand that either Abellio meet their targets or hand back the ScotRail keys. Time for him to get tough.”

Mr Hynes said: “We’re sorry to customers for the disruption to services in recent weeks. We know the impact this has on your day, and are working flat out to get things back to normal.”