LAST week on a morning train to Edinburgh from Glasgow, I found myself remarking at how improved the service was. The new, longer train was busy, but everyone got a seat. It left on time. The wifi worked. And, thanks to electrification of the line costing some £850m, the journey took just 43 minutes.

Long-suffering commuters have waited forever for these improvements, of course. And since I don’t have to make the journey every day, I don’t have insight into whether my journey was representative (a quick look at Twitter on any week day would suggest otherwise). But credit where it’s due.

There was a sense of irony, then, when later that same day Transport Secretary Michael Matheson announced he will end ScotRail operator Abellio’s contract three years early, in 2022. The Dutch operator, which took over the ScotRail franchise in 2015, made big promises about train and service improvements up and down the network, from the West Highlands to the Borders. But its performance record has been woeful, with staffing issues in particular seemingly crippling the network, leading to delays, cancellations and overcrowding.

Read more: ScotRail franchise cut short as SNP ministers strip Abellio of contract

Not all of these things were Abellio’s fault, however. The fragmented nature of the network since privatisation in 1994, which sees the tracks owned by one company, the trains by another, leased to a third to operate, means ScotRail takes the blame for problems – signalling, bad weather, leaves on the line etc – it has no control over. But that’s the way it goes. Understandably. frustrated passengers hit out at whoever is closest to hand, and that tends to be ScotRail and its staff.

The blame game is an increasingly important part of running or overseeing a railway network, especially when passengers can take to social media social and complain in real time. So, although Abellio clearly failed to meet many of its targets, I don’t doubt that public pressure also played a part in the decision to end the contract early.

And that’s why I’m surprised Mr Matheson seems so keen on bringing ScotRail back into public hands, having already mooted setting up a public operator to bid against private sector rivals for the ScotRail contract. What makes him think the public sector will automatically do a better job than the likes of Abellio, which is itself owned by the Dutch state? Especially when it’s clear having control of the franchise is only part of the equation. Without control over the tracks (not devolved to Scotland), and the sort of eye-watering multi-billion pound investment that would probably require tax increases, European-style railways are a pipe dream.

And at least under the current system the Scottish Government has a private sector enemy to blame and sack when things go wrong. Does the SNP really want to deal with the potential fallout at the ballot box when angry commuters turn their ire on ministers rather than Abellio or whichever private firm comes next? Mr Matheson should be careful what he wishes for. With building support independence the main party’s main priority, taking over a potentially vote-losing train franchise is surely an unnecessary risk that could lead to dire consequences.

Read more: ScotRail franchise cut short as SNP ministers strip Abellio of contract

He is not alone in being tempted up the nationalisation track, of course. The re-nationalisation of the UK’s railways was one of the few policies in the recent Labour manifesto that seemed to be popular on the doorstep. And taking into consideration recent events in England (where services are not only far worse but way more expensive) and Scotland, one can understand the demands for change.

But we hark back to the old days of British Rail with rose-tinted nostalgia when even a cursory glance at some of the realities tells you this is largely misplaced. We appear to have conveniently forgotten cold, dirty old rolling stock in the1980s taking us on deadly slow journeys. Passenger numbers speak for themselves, having more than doubled in the 25 years since privatisation. Lest we forget, too, it was a drastic programme of line closures in the 1960s (the hated Beeching Cuts) that led to many communities in Scotland – including the entire Borders region – having their railway lines closed, with terrible economic and social consequences.

Put simply, what matters to passengers is having modern trains with good facilities that aren’t too expensive and run on time. Who owns and operates the lines and trains is of secondary importance. Mr Matheson should take heed.