The ScotRail Alliance’s performance in recent weeks is the best it has achieved since May 2015.

Figures for the four weeks to 16 September 2017 show that 94.1 per cent of trains met the industry standard public performance measure – the best four-week performance since May 2015. Abellio took over the franchise in April 2015.

This takes ScotRail’s moving annual average – the average performance over the previous 12 months – to 91.21 per cent, which meets the regulatory target.

Other key features of recent performance include:

– The four-week performance is 3.4 percentage points better than the same period last year.
– The annual average performance is 1.6 percentage points higher than at the same time last year.
– The moving annual average in England and Wales is 88.1 per cent.

Earlier this summer it was revealed that ScotRail is the best performing large operator in the UK, and nine out of ten customers told the independent National Rail Passenger Survey by Transport Focus that they were satisfied with ScotRail – equalling its best ever score.

ScotRail Alliance Operations Director Perry Ramsey said:

“These figures show that the ScotRail Alliance continues to deliver excellent service for our customers.

“For us to achieve our best performance in more than two years is down to the hard work of our people, who continue to go above and beyond to help customers travel about hassle free.

“But we are far from complacent. We know that customers want us to get even better, and we are delivering the investment to make that happen.

“We’re building the best railway Scotland’s ever had. The new and better trains coming to Scotland will mean faster journeys, more seats and better services for our customers.”

Humza Yousaf, Minister for Transport and the Islands, said:

“These latest figures confirming ScotRail’s best performance since May 2015 is very welcome news indeed. ScotRail has come a long way since the Performance Improvement Plan (PIP) was implemented a year ago and last month saw them become the best performing large train operator in the UK.

“While they are now above PIP levels, ScotRail is maintaining focus on continued improvement as ‘business as usual’.

“The very real efforts to lift performance is a credit to all the staff who have worked hard to deliver this in the face of unrelenting, often unwarranted, criticism. I am not complacent and will continue to monitor performance as ScotRail works hard to build the best railway Scotland has ever had.”

– Train service punctuality in the four weeks to 23 July 2017 was 93.7 per cent
– The equivalent performance in England and Wales was 89.3 per cent
– The ScotRail Alliance’s performance for the four weeks was ahead of the target set by the performance improvement plan

The number of trains running on time in the last four weeks saw the ScotRail Alliance pulling ahead of its performance improvement plan target, new figures published today reveal.

In the four weeks to 23 July 2017, 93.7 per cent of trains ran within the public performance measure (PPM). This compares to 91.1 per cent for the same period last year.

Recent performance means the ScotRail Alliance’s moving annual average (MAA) – the annual performance standard – is now at 90.7 per cent. This performance is:

– Ahead of the improvement plan target of 90.5 per cent.
– 0.7 per cent higher than this time last year.
– 1.1 per cent higher than when the performance improvement plan was first introduced.
– Ahead of the annual performance standard of 87.9 per cent in England and Wales.

The ScotRail Alliance’s improved performance was achieved during a time of major upgrades and improvements to the existing network.

On Tuesday, the National Rail Passenger Survey revealed that nine out of ten customers are satisfied with ScotRail – equalling its best ever performance.

Perry Ramsey, Operations Director at the ScotRail Alliance, said:

“The performance of the ScotRail Alliance continues to improve, thanks to the hard work of our dedicated staff.

“To have outperformed our improvement plan while carrying out the biggest upgrade to the railway network in Scotland since Victorian times is a great achievement.

“This week the National Rail Passenger Survey showed that nine out of ten passengers are satisfied with ScotRail, equalling our best ever score.

“But we aren’t complacent. We’re doing everything we can to build the best railway Scotland’s ever had. That means new and better trains, delivering faster journeys, more seats and better services for our customers.”

Scottish Chambers of Commerce’s Quarterly Economic Indicator engages with five of Scotland’s key business sectors: Construction, Financial and Business Services, Manufacturing, Retail & Wholesale, and Tourism.

These findings, released in collaboration with the University of Strathclyde’s Fraser of Allander Institute show the position of businesses for the second quarter of 2017. The results from our latest comprehensive survey of businesses in Scotland reveals a broadly positive story in terms of business performance across most sectors but accompanied by some stark warnings about the potential challenges ahead.

Neil Amner of Anderson Strathern, Chair of the Scottish Chambers of Commerce Economic Advisory Group, said:

“Performance in the construction sector has improved since the beginning of the year, but concerns remain about the persistent negative trend in contracts from the public sector. Manufacturing businesses have again reported strong results, with evidence of a sharp increase in export revenues, possibly as a result of the exchange rate. The tourism sector is also looking well set for the summer, whilst key indicators in the financial and business services sector, such as profitability and employment have returned to their best levels for over two years.

“These are all positive signs in line with other recent surveys and data. They indicate that the Scottish economy will continue to grow this year. Businesses are, however, also highlighting longer term threats to success from factors such as falling real incomes and rising recruitment problems. The retail sector is perhaps most exposed to pressures on household budgets. It is therefore worrying that almost half of retail respondents are reporting a fall in revenues and profits. Supply chain price rise pressures will compound that issue. Consumer demand drives around three quarters of Scotland’s economic growth, so unless the recent falls in real earnings are reversed, there is a risk that the impact could spread to the wider economy.

“There is also evidence that the low unemployment rate may be impacting on businesses’ ability to recruit the talent they need. Recruitment difficulties are growing across almost all sectors of the economy and we are seeing businesses increase their investment in staff training, possibly to improve the skills of existing staff or to bring new recruits up to speed, who may not have all the skills that the business needs.

“Those recruitment pressures, underline the need for early agreement on the rights of existing EU workers to live and work in the UK and for the UK’s future migration policy to be driven by business need. We are continuing to hear anecdotal evidence from businesses of a slow but steady drift of EU workers out of the UK. For Scotland, that has to stop if our current recruitment problems are to be reversed.

Although the survey results are positive overall, they are not wildly so. Corporate training investments are being made in the context of tight margins and uncertain times, exposing the punitive nature of the Scottish operation of the Apprenticeship Levy for those paying it. It is time for Governments at all levels to begin planning for the kind of country we want Scotland to be, and investing in assets like world leading digital connectivity to help businesses to grow, rather than placing further cost pressures in the way of growth.”

– Train service punctuality in four weeks to 24 June 2017 was 92 per cent
– The equivalent figure in England and Wales was 88.6 per cent

Performance on Scotland’s railway has improved yet again, newly released figures show.

For the four week period up to 24 June 2017, 92 per cent of Scotland’s trains met the industry target PPM measure. This compares to 90 per cent for the same period last year – an increase of two percentage points in just twelve months.

This means more of the 60,000 services in Scotland during the period ran on time.

During the same period in England and Wales, the equivalent figure was 88.6 per cent.

The ScotRail Alliance’s moving annual average (MMA) – the annual performance standard – is now at 90.5 per cent.

The ScotRail Alliance’s improved performance was achieved during a time of major upgrades and improvements to the existing network.

Perry Ramsey, Operations Director at The ScotRail Alliance, said:
“When we are undertaking the biggest upgrade to Scotland’s rail network since Victorian times, this is an impressive performance and confirms that we continue to deliver for our passengers.

“This performance is a testament to the hard work of our dedicated staff, who work tirelessly to make sure customers can travel on Scotland’s railway with as little fuss as possible.

“The major improvements we are making to our service – from the electrification of the Glasgow to Edinburgh line, to the delivery of new trains, to the upgrades to stations all across Scotland – will ultimately mean faster journeys, more seats and better services for Scotland’s passengers.

“We know any disruption can be frustrating for passengers, but all the work we are doing just now is helping to build the best railway Scotland has ever had.”