Claudia calls out Tory/SNP rail pact

Claudia commented: “We know what to expect from this right wing Tory party but the SNP have now shown their true colours on this matter again. Sound bites and future intentions do not benefit passengers, actions do. Scottish Labour’s motion would have brought ScotRail into public hands and ended the shambles commuter’s face on a daily basis.

“The SNP and Tories have voted to keep the failing ScotRail franchise in the hands of Abellio, the state owned Dutch railway company.

“Nothing highlights the condition of Scotland’s railways more starkly than our own local figures. According to ScotRail’s own figures, only 48.8 per cent of trains at Lanark were on time over the last 12 months. In Carstairs that figure is just 40.9 per cent.

“When ScotRail continually breaches its targets they are lowered by Transport Scotland so that enforcement action isn’t taken.

“A late train even if only by a few minutes can mean missing a connection or being late to work. It is unacceptable that the people of Scotland are expected to put up with this failure.

“Why the SNP and Tories think a Dutch, state owned company can run our railways better than a Scottish State owned railway company is beyond me. However, Scotland is in a climate emergency and our largest emissions come from transport. If we don’t have public transport fit for purpose we will not be able to meet our ambitious climate change targets.

“All this chaos is taking place while commuters have been hit with a 54 per cent increase in the cost of a season ticket since the SNP came to Government.”