ScotRail, we hope and expect to praise you – leader comment

ScotRail’s performance in recent months has not been good enough with crew shortages leading to delays, cancellations and misery for thousands of passengers and prompting Nicola Sturgeon to warn that it is now in the “last-chance saloon”.

Delays for rail passengers have caused misery to many travellers in recent months (Picture: John Devlin)

Yesterday the firm announced its response – 85 extra staff and three more trains as part of an £18 million remedial plan.

Some were sceptical. Labour said the trains were “overcrowded and overpriced” and showed why nationalisation was the answer.

The Conservatives dismissed the remedial plan as a “toothless and meagre attempt to buy time”. Both criticised the Scottish Government.

But, once upon a time, ScotRail ran what was acclaimed as the most punctual major train service in Britain.

And the firm has also insisted it is building “the best railway Scotland has ever had” – so we should get services that are even better than during its glory days.

The Scotsman has criticised ScotRail in the past. We will await to see the effectiveness of its remedial plan, but we hope and expect to praise it in the future.