Newly nationalised rail network brings back food and drink service on Far North Line
Register for free to read more of the latest local news. It's easy and will only take a moment.
After ScotRail went back into public ownership for the first time in 25 years on April 1, the rail operator today announced the reintroduction of its on-board food and drink service for the Far North Line.
All ScotRail staff will transfer to the new Scottish government-owned entity, and the move has been welcomed by trade unions. The previous operator, Abellio, had its franchise ended early amid criticism of the quality of the service.
The company has now unveiled plans to invest £918,000 on a hospitality recruitment drive.
The train operator is set to recruit 29 new on-train hospitality stewards as part of its plans to reintroduce and improve the food and drink offering on board trains across the ScotRail network.
From today (Monday April 4), ScotRail has begun to re-introduce its on-board food and drink service on a limited number of Inter7City routes, for example, Aberdeen to Edinburgh, Far North Line, and Kyle of Lochalsh Line services on top of the West Highland Line services which are already catered for.
The number of services with food and drink available will increase as new recruits complete their training.
In the meantime, customers can check which services are planned to have a hospitality service on board on the ScotRail website, while Customer Information Screens in stations also display details of which trains have food and drink available.
The train operator suspended on-train hospitality in 2020 following strict "essential travel only" guidance. This led to a significant reduction in passenger numbers and revenue, and although customers are gradually returning to the railway, passenger numbers during the week remain well below pre-pandemic levels.
During this time, ScotRail’s hospitality team was redeployed to assist other areas of the business, such as focussing on touch-point cleaning on trains and in stations.
Such was the uncertainty during the pandemic that many team members moved on to new permanent or fixed-terms roles within the railway, and all agency employees left the business. This uncertainty also meant that ScotRail could not actively recruit new staff members until now.
Vacancies will be available through ScotRail’s Customer Service Modern Apprenticeship. Anyone interested in applying should visit www.scotrail.co.uk/early-careers for more information.
Lesley Kane, ScotRail commercial director, said: “I’m thrilled that we're now beginning to reintroduce our food and drink offering on board our trains. It’s another step forward on the road to recovery as we continue to welcome more customers back to Scotland’s Railway.
“Our Modern Apprenticeship offers young people across Scotland the opportunity to earn while they learn valuable skills and gain experience that will stand them in good stead for the future.
“This near £1million recruitment drive shows our commitment to supporting the country’s recovery and helping the economy grow.”
The UK's rail network was privatised in the 90s by the Tory government. Before Abellio, ScotRail was run by National Express and First Group. Passengers should not see any significant changes in services right away, but the Scottish government said it was a new beginning for the railways.
