Dundee East Labour
3 July 2019
Refunds handed out to rail passengers because of severe delays or cancellations have soared by more than 500 per cent, Scottish Labour can reveal.
Passengers who have been delayed by 30 minutes or more can claim some or all or their fare back under ScotRail’s DelayRepay scheme.
In the 2018/19 reporting period, ScotRail received an astonishing 149,742 claims from let down passengers. Compared to the first year of the franchise in 2015/16, the number of claims has risen by 529 per cent.
Meanwhile the number of complaints received by ScotRail from passengers in the final quarter of the same year has skyrocketed by 39 per cent when compared to the same period in 2017/18.
Scottish Labour’s transport spokesperson Colin Smyth MSP said:
“Rail passengers are facing misery and chaos across the country.
“Behind each one of the almost 150,000 claims are individuals having to miss job interviews, medical appointments and time with their family after a hard day's work.
“This rail misery for people simply cannot be allowed to continue.
“Scottish Labour is calling on the Transport Secretary to listen to the public and strip Abellio of the contract at the earliest opportunity and bring our railways in public ownership.”
Refunds handed out to rail passengers because of severe delays or cancellations have soared by more than 500 per cent, Scottish Labour can reveal.
Passengers who have been delayed by 30 minutes or more can claim some or all or their fare back under ScotRail’s DelayRepay scheme.
In the 2018/19 reporting period, ScotRail received an astonishing 149,742 claims from let down passengers. Compared to the first year of the franchise in 2015/16, the number of claims has risen by 529 per cent.
Meanwhile the number of complaints received by ScotRail from passengers in the final quarter of the same year has skyrocketed by 39 per cent when compared to the same period in 2017/18.
Scottish Labour’s transport spokesperson Colin Smyth MSP said:
“Rail passengers are facing misery and chaos across the country.
“Behind each one of the almost 150,000 claims are individuals having to miss job interviews, medical appointments and time with their family after a hard day's work.
“This rail misery for people simply cannot be allowed to continue.
“Scottish Labour is calling on the Transport Secretary to listen to the public and strip Abellio of the contract at the earliest opportunity and bring our railways in public ownership.”