Abellio ScotRail today became the 6th largest organisation in Scotland to become a Living Wage Accredited Employer.

Announced by the Transport Minister, Derek Mackay, to mark Abellio’s 1st year operating the ScotRail franchise.

Highlights from the 1st year of Abellio’s stewardship of Scotland’s Railway include:

• Committing £475m towards ScotRail’s Train Improvement Programme
• Successfully commencing operations on the Borders Railway
• Achieving a 90% satisfaction score in the National Rail Passenger Survey
• Providing front line staff with 5,000 smart devices to answer customer questions efficiently
• Entering into a partnership with Network Rail to form the ScotRail Alliance – a joined up railway focused on the needs of the customer

Dominic Booth, MD of Abellio UK, said: “We were given the responsibility a year ago to deliver the Scottish government’s clear vision of the role of Scotland’s national railway in helping to drive the country’s economic development. We work every day to earn the faith that has been shown in us and make progress, as the customer satisfaction figures show, however there is a great deal more work still to be done. Abellio’s record of partnership working rests at the heart of our commitment and is demonstrated in the ScotRail and Network Rail alliance that is focused on the needs of passengers first, last and always.”

Phil Verster, MD of ScotRail Alliance, said: “We are absolutely committed to delivering a railway that all of Scotland can be proud of. We want to make sure that ScotRail helps connect people with jobs, business with customers and our communities with opportunities to grow and prosper. While we are pleased with what we have achieved in the 1st year, we know that there is so much more to come. We will be delivering new and refurbished trains, more carriages, more seats and shorter journey times and we will continue to invest in our people so that they always do the very best for our customers. Paying the Living Wage is a clear sign of our commitment to our people and a recognition of how much we value our role as one of Scotland’s largest employers.”

Derek Mackay, Transport Minister, said: “Scottish Ministers included Living Wage accreditation as one of the major commitments in the new ScotRail franchise agreement. It is pleasing that Abellio have achieved this, it represents a satisfying end to a productive first year as franchise holder. 80.5% of employees now receive the Living Wage or higher and the benefits to businesses who do are shown to be significant, including increased staff morale, reduced absenteeism and higher levels of productivity. We need even more organisations to recognise those benefits and sign up for accreditation and help those on the lowest pay. Abellio has built a strong base for some hugely exciting initiatives that lie ahead, including new trains, more seats, quicker journeys, smart tickets and more flexible, better value fares for customers.”

Peter Kelly, Director of the Poverty Alliance said: “Congratulations Abellio on becoming the latest employer in Scotland to join the Living Wage movement.Low pay is now a significant cause of poverty in Scotland. Employers like Abellio show that action can be taken now to make a real difference. Paying the Living Wage is not only the right thing to do, it is also good for business, with employers reporting reduced staff turnover and higher productivity. Today’s announcement means a pay rise for 150 employees, and we are pleased to have another important company leading by example.”