£2M bus bill for cancelled ScotRail services since SNP nationalisation

ScotRail shelled out almost £2million on replacement buses since SNP nationalisation, according to figures obtained by the Scottish Tories.

The party says the data reveals that since April 2022, the publicly-owned rail company spent £1.6 million running pre-planned rail replacement buses on several major ScotRail routes to compensate for their temporary timetable.

An additional £134,000 was spent on running emergency bus services when trains were cancelled or unable to run due to technical issues.

Shadow transport secretary Sue Webber said the outlay on replacement buses highlighted how poor a deal train users and taxpayers alike were getting from the SNP’s botched nationalisation of ScotRail.

The figures come hot on the heels of transport secretary Fiona Hyslop reintroducing peak fares, almost doubling the price of tickets for those travelling at rush hour on some routes.

Scottish Conservative shadow cabinet secretary for transport Sue Webber MSP said: “The shocking bill for replacement buses highlights what a shoddy deal train users and taxpayers are receiving from the SNP’s botched nationalisation of ScotRail.

“Things have got worse, not better, since SNP ministers got their mitts on ScotRail.

“Around 6,000 ScotRail journeys have been cancelled since April alone, alongside the reduced timetable which caused nothing but misery for commuters and goes against everything we were promised nationalisation would be.

“Commuters are being let down by an unreliable service, and now they’re being asked to pay far more for the privilege with the return of peak fares.

“The SNP claim they want to get people out of their cars and on to public transport, but common sense tells you this shambles is likely to do the opposite.

“The SNP and other socialist parties at Holyrood believe expanding the size of the state is always a solution, but we know taxpayers always end up paying the price for this agenda.

“Nationalist ministers must urgently change their approach and prioritise delivering a reliable and affordable train service for passengers.”

ScotRail blames unforeseen emergencies and planned maintenance for some of the cancelled trains - but says it's committed to providing the best service possible for its customers.

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