New calls to nationalise Scotrail

Almost 75,000 ScotRail trains have been cancelled since Abellio started running the franchise four and a half years ago.

Figures from Scottish Labour say an average of 47 trains are being cancelled per day, with prices rising by 13%.

The party says passengers are "putting up with a miserable service'' as they called for the rail franchise to be taken back into public ownership by 2022.

The official government figures show 74,514 trains have been cancelled since Dutch firm Abellio began running the service in April 2015, approximately 327 trains a week.

With another fare rise set for January - meaning they will have increased by 13% since the franchise contract was awarded - Scottish Labour have called for the Scottish Government to "put passengers before profit''.

Scottish Labour have tabled a motion in the Scottish Parliament to debate taking the services back into public ownership and not extending the current ScotRail franchise beyond its first expiry date in 2022.

The party's transport spokesman Colin Smyth said: "Hundreds of trains are being cancelled every week in Scotland under the failing Abellio franchise.

"Passengers were promised a 'world-leading' deal by the SNP but they have instead have had to put up with a miserable service.

"To make matters worse rail fares have increased and a new price rise is set to be imposed on passengers in January.

"Enough is enough.

"Scottish Labour will table plans on Wednesday at Holyrood to end the Abellio franchise at the earliest opportunity and return our railways to public ownership.

"It's time to put passengers before profits.''

A spokesman for ScotRail, which operates more than 2,400 services every weekday, said: "The unprecedented investment in upgrading the infrastructure, and introducing new and upgraded trains, is delivering a consistent level of performance and we are looking forward to continuing improvements in the weeks and months ahead.

"We understand and share the frustration of customers when things don't go to plan and everyone across Scotland's railway is working round the clock to deliver the service our customers expect and deserve.''

A spokesman for Michael Matheson said: "Labour's hypocrisy on this issue is astonishing - they have consistently blocked the right for a public-sector body to bid for a rail franchise.

"It was the SNP who won that right and, meanwhile, Labour has just handed the contract for rail services to a private-sector firm in Wales.

"It's essential that responsibility for our railways rests with the Scottish Parliament so that we can meet the needs of commuters.

"The only common-sense approach is for Westminster to hand over control of the rail infrastructure to the Scottish Parliament.

"We urgently need control of Network Rail to be devolved - allowing a joined-up, coherent approach to transport, rather than leaving our railways in the hands of the Tories."

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