After NHS Scotland, Scotrail features as a regular target of faked news, forming a central plank in the Loyalist Nomedia agenda, attempting to undermine the SNP administration by association with some kind of constructed failures.
The two headlines above say it all and, probably, for many, are all that they see as they drift past the stands or, in the rare circumstance that they have bought a copy, past the story. Of course, the people at Reporting Scotland are feeding vampirically on it.
Deep in the reports where only the brave dare to [t]read, we find:
‘Operator ScotRail says the recent Storm Ali was mainly to blame as cancellations hit 3.66 per cent of services across the country between 16 September and 13 October. Many axed services are also down to Network Rail which maintains the tracks and has seen engineering works run over.’
Deeper, deeper and down, we find that 2.3% of the 3.66% was attributed to the storm and the amber weather warning. So, in that period only 1.36% of services were cancelled due to factors that might lead to blame being laid fairly at ScotRail’s door? Was that a new low? A new record in reliability?
Of course, we had to hear an answer to that from a Labour Branch-line spokesperson:
Labour transport spokesperson Colin Smyth said: “ScotRail’s cancellations are now the worst on record, with more and more passengers being left stranded. The number of services being cancelled is now more than triple the same period of previous years – meaning ScotRail’s failings are getting worse.’
To be in the Labour Party, back in the day, he’d have had to change his name from ‘Smyth’ to ‘Smith’, I think. Anyhow, unless he insists on pretending Strom Ali didn’t happen, it’s a bare-faced lie, of course.
Also, see this in June 2018 on services in England:
‘Around 8,000 services on GTR have so far been cancelled or severely delayed, while some 5,000 Northern trains have suffered the same fate since 20 May – excluding two days of strikes when 2,000 trains were pulled in advance.’
https://www.theguardian.com/business/2018/jun/09/uk-railways-great-timetable-fiasco-whats-gone-wrong
Talking-up Scotland 
Never mind. As that Boulevardier of old London town, Baron Ffoulkes-Orf of Cum’n’loot, put it.
“The SNP are on a dangerous tack……..build up a situation….where services are manifestly better than south of the border”……..and….
“……..they are going it deliberately”.
Labour had 60 years of political control of Scotland. They did nothing when in power for “their” electoral communities, but they stuffed their own pockets, full to bursting.
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I can recall from more than a year ago when Queen St Station in Glasgow was being closed for the installation of electric cable gantries in the tunnel, as part of the Edinburgh/Glasgow Improvement Programme. The Programme and the fact that there would be a station closure had been publicised for months in advance with people who used the station given handouts and with the station have many informative notices. The timetable changes were publicised well in advance with services running from Low Level. Covered queuing facilities were set up at the two entrances to the Low Level Station.
On the day of the change, things went like clockwork – to the clear chagrin of the Reporting Scotland team.
For several days in advance they had been flagging up ‘imminent chaos for commuters’. Come the day, they had live broadcasts from the station are – ‘o see the shambles as it unfolded: they hoped. Without exception, the vox pops – which were live and not selectively chosen and edited to present the story RS wanted – indicated commuters who felt they had been well-informed, had made adjustments to their own schedules, if required, and that the services were running well.
The disappointment of BBC staff on the scene and in the studio was manifest. The studio team kept saying they would return to Queen St, with any ‘developments’ (heavy, sinister emphasis!).
They kept this up for two days before they gave up.
During the Storm Ali day – and I cannot remember a September storm of such ferocity during my 71 years – live vox pops from outside Central Station were generally sympathetic to the problems faced and appreciative of the efforts of rail crews to keep services running. They managed to get one ‘outraged’ commuter to speak of the incompetence of Scotrail for having to cancel some services during a storm of unprecedented ferocity, in the interests of safety of passengers and crews.
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I remember that. There’s always one.
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