THE extent of Dutch state rail operator Abellio's failure to meet required train and station standards for Scotland 's rail passengers has been laid bare as it has emerged it has racked up over £11.4m in penalties since it took over ScotRail.
In the last full financial year, the Dutch rail operator which runs ScotRail was fined £3.99m - nearly seven times as much as was handed to FirstGroup in its full final year of running the previous ScotRail franchise.
It comes as it emerged that Abellio could yet bid for the ScotRail franchise in 2022 - despite the Scottish Government calling a halt to its current contract three years early.
Transport Secretary Michael Matheson has confirmed if no changes are made to current franchising arrangements by the UK Government, the Dutch firm could make a fresh bid to run the services again. The Herald understands Abellio has not ruled it out.
READ MORE: What next for ScotRail after Abellio is stripped of trains contract?
Meanwhile Abellio told the Herald there are "many projects and investments" such as preparing for a fully decarbonised railway by 2035 that will be "delayed or put at risk" with a change in control of the ScotRail franchise.
Abellio controversially took over from FirstGroup, after the Aberdeen-based company had run most Scottish rail services for some 10 years. The ten year deal was worth up to £6 billion in what was then the biggest single contract every awarded by the Scottish Government.
The decision, hailed by then Scottish transport minister, Keith Brown as a "world leading contract to deliver for rail staff and passengers" had triggered a political row, with unions and Labour condemning the award to an overseas company rather than the Scottish-based firm.
The extent of the penalties imposed on Abellio came as passenger growth and higher charges from Network Rail - which is in charge of the rail infrastructure - were quoted among the factors that led to Abellio ScotRail making a pre-tax loss of £17.9 million in 2017.
READ MORE: Moves for greater state control as Abellio is stripped of control of Scotland's railways
The level of penalties over standards on trains and stations handed out by Scottish Government quango Transport Scotland imposed in the last two years of the franchise was £8.64m eclipsing the £2.76m levied in their first year and nine months. In its full final year of running the previous ScotRail franchise, First was fined £576,000 (2014/15) under the performance regime.
The ScotRail report card shows Abellio ScotRail failed to reach the required standards in service to the public in 22 benchmarking areas out of 38 standards in the final three months of 2018/19.
The failures included station lights, station CCTV and security, litter, station timetables and information, station and train toilets, car parks and taxi ranks, help points, phones, train seats and racks.
It also got marked down for train cleanliness, graffiti, board and passenger information displays, public address systesm, train doors, the seat reservation system, and ticket inspections.
Transport Scotland inspectors audit over 350 stations and approximately 200 trains every four weeks and fines are reinvested into the rail network Transport union TSSA has called for ScotRail to be brought into public ownership immediately with a department of the Scottish Government taking control of railways "in house".
READ MORE: The 12 days of Christmas chaos at ScotRail
Union general secretary Manuel Cortes said: “Abellio’s time at ScotRail has been marked by a series of broken records. The poorest performance since records began in 1997. The greatest number of passenger refunds claimed in a year. And, not forgetting, the highest ticket prices charged!
“It is no surprise that Abellio has racked up over £11.4million in penalties. The only surprise is that it has taken Transport Minister Matheson so long to cancel their contract.
“Unfortunately, passengers eager for an improvement in service will be waiting a long time yet. Now Abellio know they’re losing the contract in 2022 they have even less incentive to improve before then.
"Mr Matheson needs to do the smart thing and end the contract right now. Only a publicly run ScotRail can deliver the improvements Scotland’s passengers deserve.”
Jane Ann Lison, secretary of Railfuture Scotland added: "While it is disappointing that Abellio fell short in so many categories, it is good to know that there is a mechanism in place to ensure that standards be maintained."
The announcement to strip Abellio of the ScotRail franchise came a day after the Herald revealed it had delivered its poorest monthly performance in a year - off the back of introducing a new fleet of greener and faster trains to help create "the best railway Scotland has ever had".
But in ScotRail's latest monthly report, the incidents reported that caused significant delays and cancellations in the latest monthly period which runs from November 10 to December 7 were all issues that were the responsibility of Network Rail, which runs the rail infrastructure.
An Abellio spokesman said that while the company admitted they have had their challenges in delivering on a "massive investment" they thought a corner had been turned.
READ MORE: Video - 'Ditch the Dutch' calls for full nationalisation of Scotland's railways is 'off track'
"Abellio has invested more than £475million in new and upgraded trains, added 23 per cent more seats for customers and created more than 500 extra jobs in Scotland since the start of the franchise in 2015 - the biggest investment in trains and stations in over 150 years," said an Abellio spokesman.
"The next five years is a vital period in the life of Scotland’s Railway. Transport Scotland will be aware that there are many projects and investments such as preparing for a fully decarbonised railway by 2035 that will be delayed or put at risk with a change in control of the ScotRail franchise."
When Mr Brown announced Abellio's arrival he emphasised Abellio’s green and social credentials – including plans for reduced fares for jobseekers, a commitment to a living wage for staff and sub-contractors, and guaranteed trade union representation – and plans for more trains, free wifi, and advance £5 fares between any two Scottish cities.
He said the contract would “benefit the whole of Scotland”, with unused station buildings transformed into premises for start-up businesses, locally sourced food and drink used for on-train catering, and a new Scottish training academy.
“These exciting plans mean that our railways will continue to be innovative, passenger-led and a hugely important driver in Scotland’s long-term success and sustainability," he said.
“Scotland’s railway has attracted a world leading contract to deliver for rail staff and passengers. We’ve already ensured that regulated rail fares will stay in line with inflation or less, and Abellio has come up with some truly innovative ways to make rail even more affordable."
But he warned that there was a provision for the government to cancel the contract at the halfway point, if Abellio failed to meet its obligations.
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