Scottish Conservative MSP Murdo Fraser has slammed the SNP Government after it was revealed that nearly 2,000 rail service cancellations hit commuters in Mid Scotland and Fife since ScotRail was nationalised.
The politician said he found the data supplied through Freedom of Information to be “utterly shocking” but added it was predictable that this has happened since the service was nationalised on April 1 this year.
The figures provided to the Scottish Conservatives by ScotRail show that there were a total of 1,114 full cancellation of rail services for trains that were due to run through Mid Scotland and Fife, and that there were also 610 part cancellations in this time for the region.
Of the rail services listed by ScotRail, the worst affected were those scheduled to travel from Edinburgh to Aberdeen. There were 343 full cancellations of these services, with 34 part-cancellations.
Commenting, Mr Fraser, who represents the Mid Scotland and Fife region, said: “These rail service cancellations that hit commuters living in Mid Scotland and Fife are utterly shocking, and show how badly the service has deteriorated for passengers since ScotRail was nationalised. Many of us predicted this would happen as soon as the SNP Government announced they were to nationalise ScotRail, but I don’t think we expected figures like these.
“Many of my constituents had previously complained about the poor service they experienced, particularly those who used the Fife Inner Circle line, with cancellations, trains delayed and overcrowding. So, I know they will be very upset and concerned to learn of these appalling statistics.
“To have nearly 2,000 cancellations of scheduled rail services on trains that were due to travel through Mid Scotland and Fife since April 1 is just not on, and sums up the incompetence of the SNP in not acting on these figures and addressing why so many trains were cancelled.”
Mr Fraser continued: “We should have known that the standard of our rail service would fall once the SNP got their hands on it – it is all too predictable given their past record on taking over the likes of Prestwick Airport, ferries and their miserable record on being in charge of devolved matters such as the health service, education and justice.”
