WE are seeing outrage expressed on an almost daily basis concerning the perceived failings of rail passenger services in Scotland ("Anger as ScotRail fails to meet dozens of promises", The Herald, November 26)
I am reminded of a headline in the railway press of around 50 years ago in the immediate post-Beeching era stating that "previously railways were run by instinct but are now hag-ridden by statistics". How true the latter wording has flourished.
The media often adds "Dutch-owned Abellio" to ScotRail to give vent to these outbursts with more than broad hints that the franchise holders regard their Scottish operations as being a milch-cow to fill their coffers back in the Netherlands. This, of course, is grist to the mill for such as the Scottish Labour Party taking it all back under public control.
As regards money flows, the reverse is true. Abellio as well as the Scottish Government have had to put sizeable sums of money in. Authoritative railway journal writings can confirm this.
The railway throughout is already in a broad sense under governance of the state, here Transport Scotland does the necessary with Network Rail as a total entity in the thrall of government.
John Macnab,
175 Grahamsdyke Street, Laurieston, Falkirk.
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