Scotrail Franchise - Abellio

[HH]

Wrong. The Intermediate stations collectively generate as many passengers as Edinburgh - Glasgow passengers.

Indeed when you look at something at the overall route corridor level Edinburgh - Glasgow demand is only around 10% of the total trips:
http://www.transport.gov.scot/report/j9853a-23.htm

For rail demand and on the Falkirk High line in particular it will be higher than 10% but my understanding is that it is more like 40-50% of the demand on the route is made up of end to end journeys.

As the service is via Falkirk it is somewhat disingenuous to count passengers from stations on the other lines... And then you need to look at revenue and the benefits to the wider economy.

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Nearly 50 trains a day are cancelled or significantly delayed on Scotland’s railways, according to new analysis by Scottish Labour.[/url]

There's lies, damn lies and statistics, as the saying goes. The average CASL for services under Abellio is the same as the average in the last year for First.

But that wouldn't fit the agenda, would it?

 

[47271]

Nearly 50 trains a day are cancelled or significantly delayed on Scotland’s railways, according to new analysis by Scottish Labour.


http://www.scotsman.com/news/politi...t-50-scotrail-trains-a-day-are-late-1-4302134

I'm sure this is true if Labour said it and it's in The Scotsman, but let's follow Neil Bibby's diligence and go to the ORR dataportal:

Scotrail CaSL percentages are follows:
2016-17 Q2 2.5
2016-17 Q1 2.3
2015-16 Q4 2.4
2015-16 Q3 3.1
2015-16 Q2 2.1
2015-16 Q1 1.8

So that's everything under Abellio, and I make it an arithmetical average of 2.37.

Let's look at the final six quarters under First:

2014-15 Q4 3.3
2014-15 Q3 2.7
2014-15 Q2 2.3
2014-15 Q1 1.4
2013-14 Q4 1.6
2013-14 Q3 2.8

An arithmetical average of 2.35.

So if 2.37% of trains is 49 a day then Scotrail operates 2,067 trains per day, rather fewer than the 2,300 they claim to run.

Or, using the same logic and 2,067 trains, in the final 18 months of First operating the franchise an average of 48.57 of trains per day were cancelled or significantly late.

So what exactly does Labour's 'analysis' - surely a dangerous initiative for them to take in this post truth crisis - prove?

Don't get me wrong, I'm no fan of Abellio, or indeed a critic of First, but I think it's high time that more work like this was done on the real figures.

Disregarding overcrowding and other challenges brought on by the letting rather than the operation of the franchise, or even the more frequently quoted stats relating to on time arrivals, today we seem to be prolonging one of Scotland's biggest political and media storms over what now emerges to be less than one half of one cancelled train per day?

Someone else - maybe even someone at Abellio or Transport Scotland, hasn't it occurred to you to defend yourselves in this way - please look at the ORR figures and correct me if I'm wrong?

 

[najaB]

Someone else - maybe even someone at Abellio or Transport Scotland, hasn't it occurred to you to defend yourselves in this way - please look at the ORR figures and correct me if I'm wrong?

I'm sure they are itching to defend themselves but have to ask if going up against the paymaster in the court of public opinion is the best long-term strategy.

 

[NotATrainspott]

Cuts? But Scotland has it's own tax setting powers. Any cut is self inflicted.

Government investment spending comes from borrowing. Taxation is really just there to stop inflation. Borrowing powers are more important than taxation powers for actually getting things done.

 

[Altnabreac]

As the service is via Falkirk it is somewhat disingenuous to count passengers from stations on the other lines... And then you need to look at revenue and the benefits to the wider economy.

Well my understanding is that both revenue and passenger numbers are driven around equally from the intermediate stations. If you have some different passenger figures showing a vast majority from end to end passengers only I'd be interested in seeing them.

 

[cf111]

It would appear that, in a brave leap towards the 20th century, Thurso is finally getting a departure board!

Image shows pole with small board erected, but the screen still covered in a black bag. Taken by your intrepid northern correspondent while awaiting the 0834 THS-INV this morning.

 

[marks87]

It would appear that, in a brave leap towards the 20th century, Thurso is finally getting a departure board!

That's a bit cart before the horse - shouldn't they get electricity up there first?

Anyway, will the Scottish Government be hauling VTEC over the coals today for the derailment at Craigentinny?

Funny as well how news of the reduced service is pushed quite far down the BBC Scotland News page, whereas ScotRail delays and cancellations are headline news.

Cynical? Moi...?

 

[Butts]

It would appear that, in a brave leap towards the 20th century, Thurso is finally getting a departure board!

Image shows pole with small board erected, but the screen still covered in a black bag. Taken by your intrepid northern correspondent while awaiting the 0834 THS-INV this morning.

They will virtually be able to display all the departures at once in sequence - won't need to much updating.

 

[jon0844]

It would appear that, in a brave leap towards the 20th century, Thurso is finally getting a departure board!

Image shows pole with small board erected, but the screen still covered in a black bag. Taken by your intrepid northern correspondent while awaiting the 0834 THS-INV this morning.

LED lights too!

 

[Groningen]

Thurso (i have been there) has not many trains. Wow; 4 trains!

 

[cf111]

LED lights too!

The Highland Council have replaced most of their streetlights with LED ones recently too, I miss the warm light of the old ones but the new ones are wonderfully bright.

Thurso (i have been there) has not many trains. Wow; 4 trains!

At least we'll all be able to see how late all 4 of them are every day

They will virtually be able to display all the departures at once in sequence - won't need to much updating.

I thought they would have put up one of the green dot-matrixy things they have at Golspie etc, but no it would appear to the full "orange bhuna".

That's a bit cart before the horse - shouldn't they get electricity up there first?

From Dounreay Fast Reactor to departure board in a mere 50-ish years

 

[Groningen]

According to my travelplanner: 6.50, 8.34, 13.06 and 16.32. Ha, ha, ha; on Sunday only on 12.30!

 

[Bodiddly]

It would appear that, in a brave leap towards the 20th century, Thurso is finally getting a departure board!

Image shows pole with small board erected, but the screen still covered in a black bag. Taken by your intrepid northern correspondent while awaiting the 0834 THS-INV this morning.

Would it not have been cheaper to employ someone with a sandwich board?

 

[Mordac]

It would appear that, in a brave leap towards the 20th century, Thurso is finally getting a departure board!

Image shows pole with small board erected, but the screen still covered in a black bag. Taken by your intrepid northern correspondent while awaiting the 0834 THS-INV this morning.

I really like the tiny train-shaped flowerpots, they have those at Lockerbie station too.

 

[47271]

I really like the tiny train-shaped flowerpots, they have those at Lockerbie station too.

They're all over Scotrail, but noticeably less well maintained and overcrowded with plants since Abellio took over. [emoji38]

Semi seriously, I think they are less well looked after than they used to be. Maybe Humza should've put that in his improvement plan, it would've been about as much use as a lot of it?

Now that we've tipped off Al Dalton, 'Scotrail Flower Pot Maintenance Crisis' will be front page in The Scotsman tomorrow.

 

[Mordac]

They're all over Scotrail, but noticeably less well maintained and overcrowded with plants since Abellio took over. [emoji38]

Semi seriously, I think they are less well looked after than they used to be. Maybe Humza should've put that in his improvement plan, it would've been about as much use as a lot of it?

Now that we've tipped off Al Dalton, 'Scotrail Flower Pot Maintenance Crisis' will be front page in The Scotsman tomorrow.

 

[Sadsmileyface]

They're all over Scotrail, but noticeably less well maintained and overcrowded with plants since Abellio took over. [emoji38]

Semi seriously, I think they are less well looked after than they used to be. Maybe Humza should've put that in his improvement plan, it would've been about as much use as a lot of it?

Now that we've tipped off Al Dalton, 'Scotrail Flower Pot Maintenance Crisis' will be front page in The Scotsman tomorrow.

They're maintained by volunteers. Local groups or individuals who apply to adopt the station plants. ScotRail reimburses for material costs but the time is donated.

 

[amcluesent]

Scotland's rail network vulnerable as problems mount, regulator warns

Scotland’s rail network faces mounting problems as performance targets are missed and overspending grows on upgrade work, the rail regulator has warned.

In more bad news for Humza Yousaf, the Scottish transport minister, the Office of Rail and Road (ORR) has predicted even worse problems on the network if there is bad weather this winter.

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news...-vulnerable-as-problems-mount-regulator-warns

 

[Highland37]

I must praise Abellio for their staff collecting rubbish through the train several times on the way to Inverness. The trains are dirty but not full of rubbish.

I came back on the VTEC train to Inverness last night and there was so much rubbish that most tables and seats appeared occupied. It turns out no one picks rubbish up until the train gets to its destination.

The quality of ride is noticeably worse north of Perth on any train but the HSTs are so much quieter than the 170s.

 

[link1driver]

I must praise Abellio for their staff collecting rubbish through the train several times on the way to Inverness. The trains are dirty but not full of rubbish.

I came back on the VTEC train to Inverness last night and there was so much rubbish that most tables and seats appeared occupied. It turns out no one picks rubbish up until the train gets to its destination.

The quality of ride is noticeably worse north of Perth on any train but the HSTs are so much quieter than the 170s.

That's a couple of times you've mentioned that our trains are dirty. Who exactly makes our trains dirty? Who leaves unmentionables in the toilets? Who leaves all the rubbish on floors, tables and seats? Who crushes chips, crisps and anything else into the carpets? I'll let you into a secret, it's the passesngers who make our trains dirty

The night shift cleaning crews work incredibly hard to make the trains presentable for the next day, but the way some individuals leave them, well put it this way, I'd hate to see their homes
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HST don't have an engine under the passenger saloon, its the track state that's the problem, only then it's a couple of kicks downhill into Newtonmore, and around Kincraig and Tomatin.

 

[Highland37]

The passengers do and I often ask people to take their feet off the seats. It's not unique to trains by any means. I know the crews work hard and if more people were employed the trains would be cleaner.

 

[link1driver]

I must praise Abellio for their staff collecting rubbish through the train several times on the way to Inverness. The trains are dirty but not full of rubbish.

I came back on the VTEC train to Inverness last night and there was so much rubbish that most tables and seats appeared occupied. It turns out no one picks rubbish up until the train gets to its destination.

The quality of ride is noticeably worse north of Perth on any train but the HSTs are so much quieter than the 170s.

It's time that's the problem, particularly at Perth. The sets have to be fuelled, washed and allocated in a certain amount of time otherwise the through platforms would become clogged. The cleaners simply don't have enough time to spend on each set before it's moved.

 

[marks87]

That's a couple of times you've mentioned that our trains are dirty. Who exactly makes our trains dirty? Who leaves unmentionables in the toilets? Who leaves all the rubbish on floors, tables and seats? Who crushes chips, crisps and anything else into the carpets? I'll let you into a secret, it's the passesngers who make our trains dirty

The night shift cleaning crews work incredibly hard to make the trains presentable for the next day, but the way some individuals leave them, well put it this way, I'd hate to see their homes

That's a tad unfair because Highland37 can't be held responsible for the behaviour of other passengers who may have left the train hours earlier, hundreds of miles away.

 

[link1driver]

That's a tad unfair because Highland37 can't be held responsible for the behaviour of other passengers who may have left the train hours earlier, hundreds of miles away.

Never said it was aimed at him! Just pointing out the fact that our trains seem to be getting a raw deal from every quarter at the moment. He's mentioned it a couple of times therefore it's annoying him as well as the staff! We all work very hard indeed to make Scotrail try to succeed, and all this railway bashing in Scotland by the press is starting to get a bit boring now.

 

[kylemore]

Who crushes chips, crisps and anything else into the carpets? .

Whoever first thought of putting carpets on trains was an eejit!

They quickly deteriorate no matter how hard the staff work.

Good quality hard wearing, easy to clean hard floors are better and with suitable patterning etc can be made to look as smart as any carpet.

 

[link1driver]

Whoever first thought of putting carpets on trains was an eejit!

They quickly deteriorate no matter how hard the staff work.

Good quality hard wearing, easy to clean hard floors are better and with suitable patterning etc can be made to look as smart as any carpet.

That's the answer, didn't coaches in the past have a sort of Lino? Thinking of mk1 or mk2?

 

[Blindtraveler]

I think Link1Driver makes a good point here, there are severak staff in this thread and they are just doing their job. Whilst theres undoubtedly issues with Scotrail lets spare a thought for the people trying hard

 

[kylemore]

That's the answer, didn't coaches in the past have a sort of Lino? Thinking of mk1 or mk2?

Perhaps the carpets were introduced more to deaden the racket from below the floor as proper trains were progressively replaced with cheap DMUs!

They look dirty and smell after even a short period of use - they should be stripped out and replaced with a more practical alternative - do they even muffle the racket from below that much?

I'm sure the staff would like to see the end of them!

 

[adrock1976]

It seems to be a current thing of the traditional printed rags hyping up and over sensationalising the minor shortcomings nowadays, so as to sell copies.

Thinking about it, there is an old saying that comes to mind regarding the printed media - sex sells and if not that, then sensationalist headlines will do.

 

[amcluesent]

All aboard! Oh, wait...

Confidence in the Scottish Government’s handling of public services has fallen in recent months.

...a drop in satisfaction in Scotland’s rail services amid criticism of ScotRail operator Abellio, Network Rail and Transport Minister Humza Yousaf over train performance. The proportion satisfied with train services was 58%, down from 68%, while 31% were dissatisfied - up from 23%.

http://www.scotsman.com/news/politi...in-snp-s-handling-of-services-falls-1-4306023