Customers in the east of the country benefited from the best week of performance since September last year as ScotRail’s commitment to delivering improvements continues.

Across Scotland, 88.5 per cent of ScotRail trains met the rail industry standard public performance measure (PPM), arriving at their destination within 4 minutes and 59 seconds of their timetabled arrival time, having called at all scheduled stations.

The Suburban East sector, that includes Fife, Borders, North Berwick and Edinburgh – Dunblane, is a key area of focus for the remedial agreement recently reached with the Scottish Government, and the punctuality boost delivered 89.4 percent for the final week of the most recent period (3 March – 30 March).

The improved week of performance was also the best since the December timetable change for customers across the country.

In addition to the punctuality success, customers also benefited from the most number of seats on trains in the Suburban East sector since the December 2018 timetable change – with 99.5 per cent of the required seats delivered.

The incidents that had the most impact on the performance of the ScotRail Alliance – a partnership between Network Rail Scotland and ScotRail – for the period were:

• An axle counter failure near Haymarket
• A points failure at Newbridge
• A signal fault at Hyndland
• Overhead line damage at Barassie
• Flooding at Garrowhill

The top two incidents alone contributed to 1.3 percent of PPM failures, which caused punctuality for the period to fall from 89.8 per cent last month.

ScotRail is now running more than 2,400 trains every week day, which is an increase of 11 per cent from 10 years ago, as Scotland’s Railway continues to grow faster than any other in the UK.

Investment in infrastructure also continues to help deliver for customers, including £13 million to renovate the New Clyde Bridge, which runs over the River Clyde on the approach to Glasgow Central.

Alex Hynes, ScotRail Alliance Managing Director, said:

“Improving the service for our customers is what everyone across the ScotRail Alliance is working flat out to deliver, and it is encouraging that we are delivering improvements in areas where our customers have been most affected in recent months.

“We know that we still need to improve, but I am confident that the investment we are making across Scotland’s Railway will help us to give our customers the service they expect and deserve.”