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Stations skipped most often by ScotRail trains revealed

Scottish Green MSP John Finnie said the figures indicate the scale of disruption encountered by commuters on a daily basis.

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ScotRail train

The stations skipped most frequently by ScotRail trains over the last year have been revealed.

The statistics, obtained from the Scottish Government by the Scottish Greens, cover the period January 7 2018 to January 5 this year and show 2,131 incidences of stop-skipping.

Ten stations were missed on more than 100 occasions.

Network Rail said skip-stopping involves only a small number of trains in proportion to the overall number of services run throughout the year.

The most skipped station was Drumry, in Clydebank, which was missed 166 times during that period.

Anniesland is second on the list, having been missed on 158 occasions, while Westerton is third after being skipped 142 times.

Coatbridge Sunnyside (122), Falkirk High (122), Edinburgh Park (107), Singer (107), Dalreoch (104), Cambuslang (102) and Dumbarton East (101) make up the top 10.

Green MSP John Finnie said: “These figures reveal the huge scale of disruption encountered by commuters on a daily basis.

“Stop-skipping is hugely inconvenient to rail passengers, often leaving them stranded miles away from their intended destination, which can have serious consequences for people continually delayed on route to work, study or to medical appointments.

“It can also be extremely distressing for young passengers and disabled people who are often abandoned in locations without adequate facilities to meet their needs.

“This is yet another example of the poor management of our railways. Ministers must act urgently and remove the franchise from the abysmal Abellio at the earliest opportunity.”

A spokesman for ScotRail said: “We pledged to suspend skip-stopping (in March 2018), except as a last resort. That is exactly what has happened and customers are feeling the benefit of this improvement.

“We know there is more to do and we are working flat-out to deliver the level of service that our customers deserve.”

A Transport Scotland spokeswoman welcomed improvements being made by the service.

“While its undeniable performance is not where it should be, ScotRail’s significant efforts to reduce skip-stopping are making a difference,” she said.

“The recent third consecutive period of improvement is also a small but welcome step towards the overall longer term change.

“There is still work to be done and ministers are clear that focus must remain on delivering the remedial plan in an effort to restore performance to the high standards both they and passengers quite rightly expect and deserve.

“Any calls to rip up the current contract early are short-sighted, not least in terms of the costs this would bring to the public purse and the upheaval to staff.”

ScotRail was issued with a second remedial notice on February 8, having been served a first on December 24 last year.

The notice requires ScotRail to submit a remedial plan within 12 weeks on how it will address performance issues raised.

Transport Scotland said the decision was taken to issue the second notice after the franchise scored 79% in its National Rail Passenger Survey (NRPS) results.

Under the terms of the franchise agreement, ScotRail is contractually obliged to reach an overall 88.5% NPRS average target.

In November, MSPs voted by 85 to 34 against a Scottish Labour motion calling for the Scottish Government to enact a break clause in Abellio’s ScotRail contract.

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