• New Smart Flexipasses designed for shift workers
• Massive expansion of current paper system – now available for 1350 journey options
• ScotRail aiming to have 60% of all journeys using queue-busting smart tickets by 2019
ScotRail today announced a massive expansion of its Flexipass ticket – meaning that shift workers can benefit from discounted rail travel in more parts of Scotland.
Flexipasses – where people buy 10 single tickets that can be used over one month from the first date of travel – offer the flexibility required by people who work irregular hours or shift patterns which mean that a season ticket is unsuitable for them.
Typically, a 10-journeyFlexipass costs the same as nine single tickets.
Prior to today, Flexipasses were only available as paper products. People can now buy their Flexipass at home, load them onto their smartcard and travel on 28 routes.
Changing how customers buy tickets and giving them flexibility is a major benefit offered by Smart ticketing. It has taken a huge infrastructure project involving eight suppliers delivering mobile device and back office upgrades to deliver this technology across the Scottish rail network. As a result, 60% of all ticket types will be available on Smart in 2017, signalling the move away from paper ticketing.
Popular off peak single, day and period returns are also available on the system and more customers are being encouraged to convert from traditional paper tickets to Smart.
A benefits package – offered in partnership with key high street brand names – where season ticket users can get a bit more value for money from their Smartcard journeys is also now in place.
The ScotRail Alliance’s Commercial director Cathy Craig said:
“These new smart Flexipasses are great news for the tens thousands of people who work shifts and irregular hours across Scotland. In the past people would have had to buy single tickets for each journey they made – or bought a season ticket that they didn’t get the best value from.
“Now they can load tickets on their smartcard and use them when they need to. It is a huge step forward in our efforts to transform the way people travel in Scotland.
“Our queue-busting Smart cards are now available for every route in Scotland and already thousands of people are enjoying hassle free travel through our stations. Over the course of the next few weeks we will be launching even more Smart products.
“With new trains on their way and stations being upgraded right across the country, this is a really exciting time for Scotland’s railway.”
The ScotRail Alliance is advising fans heading to the match at Celtic Park this Sunday to leave plenty of extra time for their journey.
Services via Bellgrove are already expected to be very busy, as engineering works are limiting the number of carriages that can be used on trains to and from Edinburgh. Customers are advised to travel via Dalmarnock, or on Partick-Cumbernauld services, as extra carriages will be added to these trains where possible.
To help everything go smoothly, extra ScotRail staff will be on hand at key stations.
A ScotRail Alliance spokesperson said: “Please plan your journey in advance, and aim to travel on an earlier service to avoid disappointment.
“We also recommend that you buy your tickets in advance, not on the day, as this will help reduce your need to queue.”
The ScotRail Alliance is advising customers on the Borders Railway to check their journeys in advance, as engineering work will be taking place on the line over three Sundays in June.
Essential track replacement works are taking place in the Newcraighall area on Sundays 4, 11 and 18. Journey times will be extended, as buses replace trains between Edinburgh and Gorebridge. Rail services run as normal on the rest of the line.
Customers can check their train times on the ScotRail app, or at scotrail.co.uk.
A ScotRail Alliance spokesperson said: “We appreciate our customers’ patience while we undertake these vital works.”
The ScotRail Alliance today confirmed that extra services will be provided for Edinburgh spectators and runners on Sunday 28 May.
The extra trains are due to run between Edinburgh and Prestonpans from early afternoon onwards. All trains will serve Wallyford and Musselburgh stations, near to the finishing line.
ScotRail also advise that, due to platform extension works, a small number of services will start or terminate at Haymarket, rather than Edinburgh Waverley.
A ScotRail Alliance spokesperson said: “Please allow extra time for travel, and buy your ticket in advance, not on the day. The last trains of the day are likely to be busy, so please aim for an earlier service to avoid disappointment.”
The ScotRail Alliance is advising all customers who use Glasgow Central to check their journey before they travel on Scottish Cup Final day.
Trains will be considerably busier than usual, and extra services will be running to and from Hampden. Additional carriages will be added on key services to destinations across Glasgow, Ayrshire and Inverclyde.
As with all major events on the network, alcohol bans and queueing systems will be in place.
Celtic supporters are advised to use King’s Park station before and after game, while Aberdeen fans should use Mount Florida.
To allow for additional services to run to and from the game, many trains using the high level stations will depart from a different platform than usual, and may also arrive or depart at slightly different times. Affected routes include (in both directions):
• Glasgow – Ayr
• Glasgow – Barrhead/Kilmarnock/Carlisle
• Glasgow – East Kilbride
• Glasgow – Neilston/Newton
• Glasgow – Wemyss Bay
A ScotRail Alliance spokesperson said: “Don’t score an own goal, leave plenty of time to get to the game. Extra staff will be around to help – please follow their instructions to ensure that everything goes smoothly.”
“The last trains of the night are going to be very busy, too – so please plan to catch an earlier one.”
– Major infrastructure works underway across the network
– Journeys may be affected after the end of the evening peak period
– Customers advised to check dedicated webpage for info on their journey
The ScotRail Alliance is reminding customers to check before they travel as the next phase of the Scotland-wide rail upgrade programme gets under way this weekend.
From Sunday 21 May work will be carried out to improve the network in Central and Northern Scotland. On those routes affected by the work, there will be changes to journeys after the end of the evening peak period.
To help customers plan ahead, the ScotRail Alliance has summarised the key changes at different times of day between now and December on a dedicated webpage at scotrail.co.uk/improvements.
Journey times will be longer and customers can expect to see queuing systems in operation at key stations.
As well as increasing the overall reliability of the rail network, the improvement work takes the next step towards introduction of new faster, longer, greener trains for Scotland – meaning more seats and shorter journey times.
Jacqueline Taggart, ScotRail Alliance Customer Experience Director said: “No one likes having their journey changed. However, this short term disruption will lead to a more reliable, better rail network that will rank amongst the very best.
“We are going through a massive period of change on Scotland’s railway. The work that we are carrying out over the next few months will bring about a revolution in rail – with more and better trains, more services and more seats than ever before.
“However, while we transform the railway, there is inevitably going to be some impact on people’s services. We are doing everything we can to minimise this, and to keep people moving.”
• Nomination in leading UK transport and logistics award scheme
• Jacqueline Taggart heads up Customer Experience in ScotRail Alliance
The ScotRail Alliance’s Customer Experience Director Jacqueline Taggart has been nominated in the prestigious 2017 FTA everywoman in Transport & Logistics awards.
Jacqueline is one of three nominees in the Leader section of the Passenger Award category which rewards enhanced customer experience.
Now in their 10th year, these Freight Transport Association awards recognise and encourage the work of female role models in the transport industry. A total of 33 women are nominated across the range of awards from customer experience and innovation, to supply chain and retaining talent.
On hearing the news that she’d been nominated, Jacqueline, from Blantyre, Lanarkshire, said: “I’m honoured and just a bit gobsmacked. I may be the nominee but it’s the work of my team around our network that ensures we’re doing everything we can to make customer experience as good as it can be for every one of the 96 million journeys made on our services every year.
“Of course I hope to win on 21 June and, if I do, it will be a reward for everyone’s effort, not just mine.”
Jacqueline is one of only two Scottish-based nominees who are in line as potential winners across all the categories at the UK-wide event. Her role is wide-ranging, with the majority of customer-facing teams coming under her responsibility. This includes all stations in Scotland, all booking offices, gatelines, and hospitality teams.
Maxine Benson MBE, co-founder of everywoman, said: “In the 10 years since everywoman created these awards to celebrate women working in transport and logistics, there have been significant changes in the industry landscape, not least in an increased focus from all sectors to attract more talented women to it.
“These awards continue to play a critical role in demonstrating the breadth and variety of careers transport and logistics has to offer women. This year’s finalists are all great role models and ambassadors for the industry and we wish them all continued success.”
The awards finale – a gala dinner where the winners will be announced – takes place in London on 21 June.
For further information please contact ScotRail Communications on 0141 555 4105/4247 or email communications@scotrail.co.uk
Pictured above: Jacqueline Taggart, ScotRail Alliance Customer Experience Director
– Over 300 new cameras installed
– 76 more stations now covered by cameras
Over 300 new CCTV cameras have been installed across the ScotRail Alliance’s network of 359 stations to improve security for customers and staff.
The work has been undertaken as part of a commitment to improve station facilities across the country. Customers with bikes will be one of the biggest groups to benefit, as additional cameras have been placed at 200 stations to monitor cycle parking areas.
Cameras and monitors have been placed at the entrances to 30 of the network’s busiest stations, as part of a move to highlight the presence of CCTV on trains and stations.
A total of 76 stations previously not covered by CCTV have seen it installed since the start of the present ScotRail franchise in April 2015. The ScotRail Alliance remotely monitors CCTV footage from their two customer service centres in Paisley and Dunfermline, where they also answer calls from station help points.
David Lister, the ScotRail Alliance’s safety and sustainability director, said: “Train travel is safe but that doesn’t mean we take our customers’ safety for granted. With the installation of these additional cameras, we’re sending a clear message that we do not tolerate crime on the railway.
“Footage from our cameras has previously been used by the police to investigate crime, and also to secure prosecutions in court.”
Chief Superintendent John McBride, from British Transport Police, said: “The rollout of these new CCTV cameras by ScotRail Alliance is great news as undoubtedly it will help us further deter and disrupt criminal activity.
“Likewise, this is also great news for staff and railway users, particularly bike users. Thanks to these additional cameras, staff and officers will be able to remotely monitor bike shelters and quickly report suspicious behaviour to police.
“Our priority is the safety of the travelling public, and we will continue to work closely with ScotRail Alliance to achieve this day in, day out. Of course, the public are also the eyes and ears of the network and can report crime and concerns to BTP discreetly by sending a text to 61016.”
The ScotRail Alliance is advising fans heading to the match at Celtic Park on Sunday 21 May to leave extra time for their journeys, as services through Bellgrove, Bridgeton and Dalmarnock stations are expected to be exceptionally busy.
Customers on the Newton and Hamilton lines should be aware that essential track replacement works will be taking place. As a result, buses will replace trains between Bridgeton and Motherwell via Hamilton, and also between Bridgeton and Newton. In addition, services between Milngavie and Motherwell will be diverted via Whifflet. Customers travelling via Glasgow Central Low Level to Dalmarnock will not be affected.
Fans travelling from the east are reminded that direct services to the stadium are available from Edinburgh, by catching a train towards Helensburgh Central and alighting at Bellgrove.
A ScotRail Alliance spokesperson said: “Extra staff will be on hand to assist, please follow their instructions to make your journey to the game as smooth as possible. Please buy your tickets in advance, not on the day, as this will help reduce your need to queue.”
The ScotRail Alliance is urging customers on the Aberdeen to Inverness route to check their journey times before they travel, as train times will be altered over the bank holiday weekend.
Buses replace trains between Inverness and Keith on 27 – 29 May to allow for engineering works to take place. Customers are being encouraged to plan ahead and check their journey plans on the ScotRail app or at scotrail.co.uk.
A ScotRail Alliance spokesperson said: A ScotRail Alliance spokesperson said: “We appreciate our customers’ patience during these essential works.”
