More than 3,400 trains cancelled in morning rush hour last year, figures show

More than 3,400 morning rush hour trains were cancelled in Scotland last year, figures have revealed.

The data, obtained through freedom of information requests by the Scottish Liberal Democrats, showed that an average of 10 ScotRail trains were cancelled every day in 2023.

Last year, 2,136 trains were fully cancelled, while 1,336 were partly cut, the data shows.

A breakdown of the figures showed that 1,089 services were cancelled between 6am and 7am, while 1,167 occurred in the following hour.

Between 8am and 9am, 1,216 trains were either fully or partially cancelled.

ScotRail has said 97% of its services operated without cancellation last year.

The figures also showed that the 08.45am train from Inverurie to Aberdeen was the service experiencing the most cancellations, with a total of 29 last year.

Meanwhile, the 08:41am train from Edinburgh to Helensburgh saw the highest number of part cancellations, with 21.

The figures come amid a current temporary timetable due to an ongoing train drivers’ dispute.

ScotRail is reliant on rest day working and overtime, however, many drivers have refused to accept the additional shifts because of the dispute.

Beatrice Wishart, the connectivity spokeswoman for the Scottish Liberal Democrats, said passengers face “endless disruption”.

She added: “Under this SNP Government, passengers are having to roll the dice every day, uncertain as to whether they will get to their final destination in time, or even at all.”

She added: “If we are to tempt people out of private cars, they need a reliable and frequent rail service. The SNP Government must get serious about ensuring all services are up and running and that trains are arriving on time.

“Scottish Liberal Democrats want to see new options for flexible season tickets as well as the Government exploring new lines, especially in areas which suffer from poor transport links.”

Mark Ilderton, service delivery director at ScotRail, said: “Disruption and cancellations happen for a variety of reasons, many outwith ScotRail’s control, like infrastructure issues.

“In 2023, we planned to operate over 700,000 services throughout the year, with 97% of services running as planned.

“However, we know that trains running on time is one of the most important factors for people travelling across the country, and we continue to work hard to improve those numbers even further.

“ScotRail will continue to keep a firm focus on performance and deliver the best possible service to our customers.”

A spokesperson for Transport Scotland said: “While any disruption to passengers is regrettable, the historic figures quoted by the Lib Dems fail to mention that ScotRail cancellations in 2023/2024 averaged just 2.3% of all services, with the reason often weather or Network Rail works. That’s fewer cancellations than immediately before public ownership.

“Since ScotRail moved into public sector, staffing has increased by 400 and passenger numbers are up by 75% from 46.7 million in 2021/22 to around 82 million in 2023/24. This makes ScotRail one of the fastest growing operators, with one of the best passenger satisfaction rates.

“Any industrial action will undoubtedly have negative impacts on passengers and employees. It is also likely to mean continued timetable changes and more short-term cancellations. We want to provide a long term, secure future for Scotland’s railway to encourage more people to travel by rail.

“The issues at hand need to be settled but there can be no increase on the current ScotRail pay offer.”