We know it has been a challenging time for some of our most loyal customers in parts of the country recently.
Our performance has not been good enough, and while it doesn’t excuse what has happened, here are the challenges we have faced:
- Daily services have had to be cancelled to allow our drivers and conductors to be trained on new trains and new routes before they can operate services safely
- The late delivery of trains by suppliers, including Hitachi and Wabtec, means there has been very limited time available for driver and conductor training
- An overtime and rest day working ban, now resolved, by the RMT trade union made the training problems worse
While it’s encouraging that recent performance is moving in the right direction with more trains arriving on time than ever before, we know that there are still areas where we need to improve.
Our teams work hard every day to deliver the service you demand, but the reality is that we’ve fallen below the standard you expect and deserve.
This is why we are offering customers some extra compensation to thank them for their patience. The additional offer has been introduced for customers most affected by cancellations caused by the need to train drivers and conductors on new routes and trains.
Season ticket holders on affected routes can travel anywhere on ScotRail services, accompanied by one extra person, for six specified weekends in March, April and May 2019.
This compensation offer is in addition to the Delay Repay Guarantee which allows customers to claim money back if they are delayed by 30 minutes or more.
Everyone at the ScotRail Alliance is working flat out to provide customers with the service they deserve. We are training more than 20 drivers and conductors every day, and this will deliver continual improvements in the coming weeks and months.
You can check your service before travelling, by downloading the ScotRail app , checking @ScotRail on Twitter , or visiting journeycheck.com/ScotRail . Where services are cancelled, if another service is due within a short time our advice is to travel on that service. Where there are longer gaps, we will provide standby buses.
Extra Compensation
If you are delayed by more than 30 minutes, you are already entitled to compensation through our Delay Repay Guarantee. We are also offering those season ticket holders most affected by cancellations, caused by traincrew shortages, extra compensation. This is a goodwill gesture to say sorry to our most loyal customers, and to thank them for their patience.
Season ticket holders, accompanied by one extra person, on routes most affected by traincrew shortages are being offered travel anywhere on ScotRail services for six specified weekends in March, April and May 2019*. Routes included in the offer are set out in the Question and Answer notes below. The offer excludes weekends when there are big events happening across Scotland’s seven cities. The offer weekends are:
Saturday 23 and Sunday 24 March 2019
Saturday 30 and Sunday 31 March 2019
Saturday 6 and Sunday 7 April 2019
Saturday 13 and Sunday 14 April 2019
Saturday 27 and Sunday 28 April 2019
Saturday 11 and Sunday 12 May 2019
We know you deserve better. The entire ScotRail Alliance - a partnership between ScotRail and Network Rail Scotland - is focused on delivering that and we will give you a better service.
Alex Hynes
Managing Director, ScotRail Alliance
*See Questions and Answers below for more detail and qualifying routes
Extra compensation for customers – your questions answered
A: Valid season ticket holders for the following routes on the dates on which the offer applies:
(Qualifying routes – ScotRail services only. Covers both directions and all intermediate stations on the qualifying routes)
- Edinburgh - Aberdeen
- Edinburgh - Dunblane
- Glasgow Queen St – Edinburgh via Cumbernauld
- Glasgow Queen St - Aberdeen - Dyce
- Glasgow Queen St/Edinburgh - Arbroath
- Fife Circle
- Glasgow/Edinburgh - Perth/Inverness
- Haymarket - North Berwick
- Edinburgh - Newcraighall – Tweedbank (Borders)
- Aberdeen – Inverness
- Montrose - Aberdeen
- Inverness - Kyle of Lochalsh
A: We have selected the routes that have been most impacted by recent cancellations caused by traincrew shortages.
A: Customers who are delayed by 30 minutes or more are already entitled to compensation under our Delay Repay scheme. This additional fare offer is a goodwill gesture, over and above Delay Repay.
Here’s what customers are entitled to under Delay Repay:
| Length of Delay | Compensation |
|---|---|
| 30 to 59 minutes | 50% of the cost of your single ticket or 25% of the cost of your return ticket |
| 1 hour to 1 hour 59 minutes | The full cost of your single ticket or 50% of the cost of your return ticket |
| 2 hours or more | The cost of your single or return ticket |
Full details of how to apply are available at www.scotrail.co.uk/plan-your-journey/our-delay-repay-guarantee .
A: We will avoid particularly busy dates, e.g. Six Nations, Scottish Cup Final, and weekends when several routes will be affected by Network Rail engineering works. Please check your journey before you travel, as some engineering works in different parts of the country will continue to take place over the six weekends. Where engineering works are taking place, there will be a bus replacement service.
You can check your service before travelling, by downloading the ScotRail app , checking @ScotRail on Twitter , or visiting journeycheck.com/ScotRail
The specified dates are:
Saturday 23 and Sunday 24 March 2019
Saturday 30 and Sunday 31 March 2019
Saturday 6 and Sunday 7 April 2019
Saturday 13 and Sunday 14 April 2019
Saturday 27 and Sunday 28 April 2019
Saturday 11 and Sunday 12 May 2019
A: Yes. A qualifying customer can travel as many times as he/she wishes on the relevant days, with an extra person. The offer will be valid for unlimited travel on six specified weekends – meaning qualifying customers can travel anywhere unlimited on ScotRail services only for 12 specified weekend days in March, April or May.
A: Yes you can. As long as you are travelling on the specified weekends, e.g. specified Saturdays and Sundays your ticket will be valid.
A: Customers don’t need to apply. Those on the qualifying routes just present their season ticket – valid at the time of travel – to gateline and on-train colleagues. If someone is accompanying you, they will not need a ticket to travel, but they do need to be with you at all times on the journey.
A: They would need to pay for that part of the journey. The offer is only valid for the ‘plus-one’ extra person when travelling with the season ticket holder.
A: Yes. If you have a weekly ticket, a monthly or an annual season ticket your ticket will be valid for this offer. The ‘valid to’ date of your season ticket will be shown on the face of your ticket.
A: The season ticket holder will be travelling to other destinations on ScotRail services, beyond their normal commute, with their plus one free adult or child, so if their journeys are disrupted they will not qualify for an extra day or Delay Repay compensation on their season tickets.