FIGURES released this week show that services to and from Edinburgh to Cardenden Station have seen several fail to make the Public Performance Measure.

This is done by a Punctuality and Reliability measure and the stats show that the 07.35 Cardenden to Edinburgh service had the worst record locally with of 73 trains set to run, there were two cancellations and a 68.5%PPM, that being trains arriving at their final destination within five minutes of the scheduled time.

The 07.44 run to Edinburgh from Cardenden had four cancellations and 85.1%PPM; while the 08.09 train had 91.9%PPM; and the 08.44 service four cancellations and 85.1%PPM.

Coming the other way the story was better with the 17.11 service having a 91.9 rating; the 17.21 93%PPM the 17.56 88.5% and the 18.50 79.1%PPM.

Mid Scotland and Fife MSP Claire Baker is urging ScotRail to make improvements to Fife services ahead of the onset of winter, citing a recent increase in complaints and figures showing poor performance.

While the latest performance update from ScotRail showed across Scotland 89.1% trains met the rail industry standard public performance measure (PPM), figures provided by ScotRail on peak time services for the Fife Circle show a number of services running well below that figure.

On top of the Cardenden services showing signs of being below standard, the 07.36 service from Kirkcaldy to Edinburgh (from Aberdeen) had only 58.6% passing PPM over the three months to the end September 2019, while the 17.42 service from Edinburgh to Kirkcaldy (for Inverness) saw just 22.1% passing PPM for the same period. This means just 19 of the 86 trains booked to run that service arrived at the final destination within five minutes of schedule, calling at all scheduled stops.

Across the 21 peak time services for which information was requested, only 5 services met the 89.1% PPM, with the remaining 16 services below this level.

Claire Baker told the Times: “The number of complaints I am receiving about ScotRail services in Fife is again on the rise. Delays, overcrowding and cancellations continue to occur all too often, negatively impacting Fife commuters, and the situation does not appear to be getting any better.

“The latest figures I have obtained from Abellio ScotRail on peak-time trains to and from Fife show the majority of services are failing to match the punctuality level for Scotland, which in itself is still well short of the 92.5% PPM target ScotRail is supposed to be achieving. For far too long, Fife commuters have been subject to a sub-standard service and these figures are just further evidence of that.

“Late and cancelled trains mean people are left standing unsheltered on platforms waiting for trains that are often crowded and arriving late for work. With winter fast approaching, ScotRail needs to address these issues now and stop leaving Fife commuters literally out in the cold.”

ScotRail say that they are working hard to improve things on the Fife Circle but ultimately it will be 2020, when carriages from the upgraded Glasgow to Edinburgh service will arrive on the Circle, that things will really improve.