Call for end to stop-skipping

Thursday November 17th 2016

Newtongrange Station

Newtongrange Station

Local MSP Christine Grahame has written to Phil Verster, Managing Director of ScotRail to welcome the end of ‘stop-skipping’ during rush hour but wants Scotrail to go further and extend this to services throughout the day.

‘Stop-skipping’ involves late running trains missing stations to get back on schedule, however it has been the source of controversy amongst passengers, with consumer group Transport Focus stating that passengers had the right to expect the destination that appeared on their ticket was the one they would be taken to.

Scotrail has said that out of 59,000 trains that ran nationally over a four-week period stop skipping affected 222 trains, however Ms Grahame has called on ScotRail to issue figures specifically for the Borders Railway to show the scale of the problem locally.

Ms Grahame said

“I know myself the frustration of standing on a platform only to see my train whizz by or indeed being on a train only to see the station I need fly past the window. This has been one of the main issues constituents have raised with me regarding the Borders Railway due to the huge inconvenience and anxiety it causes when it happens. Whilst I’m pleased that ScotRail have taken the feedback from passengers on board in halting this during rush hour it needs to go further and be ended completely.

“I do welcome the Scottish Government’s pledge to increase passenger capacity across Scotland by investing a record £5 billion in our rail network to improve rolling stock and I will be keeping a close watch as to what impact this has on Borders Railway over the coming years. Overall the Borders Railway has been a huge success and the continuing improvement of the service can only strengthen the campaign to extend the line to Hawick and beyond.”

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