Image source, bbc

SNP MSP Gail Ross asks for an update about the Highland mainline phase 2.

Mr Hynes says ScotRail is currently on-site upgrading the line with £60m of investment which is due to end in March.

This will produce regular hourly service from the Highlands to the central belt, he adds.

Green MSP John Finnie raises concerns about the amount of single track from Perth to Inverness and says it is "Sod's law that if a locomotive will break down it will break down on the single track".

SNP MSP Richard Lyle asks about agency workers and requests an update on Glasgow Queen Street's redevelopment.

Alex Hynes confirms ScotRail does employ agency workers, often to respond to increased demand - such as over Christmas time.

He says all staff are paid the living wage.

On Queen Street's redevelopment, Mr Hynes tells the committee the 1970s buildings have been fully demolished and development on the new modern concourse has commenced.

This is on time and on budget, he adds, and completion is expected by spring 2020.

Image source, bbc

Passengers on Scotland's trains have been promised improvements but for many they can't come quick enough.

"Most weeks I'm standing probably 50% of the time," says Charles Kelly, who commutes from Dunblane to Edinburgh Park.

He says the trains are usually packed at rush-hour because there are not enough carriages.

Sometimes there are four carriages but on other occasions just two, he says.

Read more here.

Committee convener Edward Mountain says he's not sure he would describe this practice as the "classic mode".

He asks about potential contamination of drinking water and calls for an absolute assurance this will not happen.

Image source, bbc

Mr Hynes insists: "Clearly there's no risk to water supplies."

Mr Mountain says if human waste is dropped on the track and there is rain it could go in to human water supplies and adds he is not sure how Mr Hynes can make that assurance.

"This is a kind of fairly shocking situation we are in," adds Tory MSP Peter Chapman

Image source, Getty Images

In October the RMT said it is appalled that high-speed trains being brought into service in Scotland will dump human waste onto train tracks.

The rail union said the practice,which had ceased after a deal with ScotRail in 2017, would result in its members being "sprayed with human waste".

The trains are being used as an interim measure pending the arrival of a new fleet of refurbished trains.

ScotRail described the situation as "far from ideal".

Read more here.

Image source, bbc

Lib Dem MSP Mike Rumbles says the first minister has said the Scottish government does not support dumping human wast onto train tracks.

"When is this situation going to be resolved?" asks Mr Rumbles

Mr Hynes replies: "We agree, we don't support this practice."

However ScotRail has been forced into this situation by the delay to the intercity trains, which has caused the high-speed trains to be run in "classic mode", he explains.

The ScotRail Alliance MD says workers will not be allowed trackside when trains are running, so risk is minimised there.

A package of measures to tackle this "difficult problem" will be brought forward by the end of this month, he says, however the necessary refurbishments won't be in place until the end of next year.

He insists the ScotRail Alliance are working with the unions to resolve this issue.

Image source, PA

The Daily Record this morning reported the following...., external

"The under-fire firm running ScotRail have been secretly bailed out by the taxpayer, the Daily Record can reveal.

"Dutch company Abellio are not making as much cash as expected on the franchise and needed advance payments to plug the gap.

"Government agency Transport Scotland last night confirmed they’ve made payments for almost a year – without telling the public.

"But the quango insist the taxpayer will not ultimately lose out – because they will claw the money back in future years.

"The controversial arrangement only came to light when the Record was contacted by a whistleblower."

Image source, bbc

Committee convener Edward Mountain says two committee members have now asks if ScotRail received money in advance of the due date.

Both Tory MSP Jamie Greene and Lib Dem MSP Mike Rumbles have asked the question.

Mr Mountain asks Mr Hynes to give a simple yes or no answer.

"Have you received payment in advance of the due date?"

Mr Hynes replies ScotRail has received revenue support payments in advance, but that does not change the net amount ScotRail gets.

SNP MSP Richard Lyle asks if your are owed X amount of money and you get that amount, "what is the problem?"

Image source, bbc

Mr Hynes again reiterates ScotRail will only skip stop as a last resort.

The ScotRail Alliance MD says although the PPM was lower than 12 months before, customer complaints were better.

Mr Smyth says customers will think that stopping at a station they are waiting at is a good thing for a rail company to do, but it is remarkable that doing that is being used as an excuse for poor performance.

He asks when will ScotRail meet its contractual performance targets, with the suggestion that it will take until 2022.

Mr Hynes replies the ScotRail Alliance are working flat out to reach 92.5% PPM moving annual average as soon as possible.

Image source, Labour MSP Colin Smyth

Labour MSP Colin Smyth asks if Abellio has been penalised for the performance being below target.

The ScotRail MD says performance is not below target because the Scottish government has provided a temporary waiver for performance below what is in the franchise rise.

He explains this is in recognition that the causes of delays about outwith ScotRail's direct control - namely issues with infrastructure, weather and knock-on impacts of cross border railway problems.

We are being held to account, he insists.

"We are seeing more storms, we are seeing more storms conditions and we are learning lessons from that," explains Mr Hynes.

Thousands of homes are still without power as Storm Ali batters parts of Scotland.

Rail travel was severely hit by as Storm Ali battered parts of Scotland in September.

All train services out of Edinburgh Waverley, Glasgow Queen Street and Glasgow Central's high level were suspended.

• How Scotland was hit by Storm Ali
• Two killed as 100mph winds hit UK

SNP MSP Richard Lyle queries how much responsibility for the delays lies with Network Rail.

Alex Hynes highlights the ScotRail Alliance is a collaborative partnership between ScotRail and Network Rail, both tasked to deliver rail services in Scotland.

Rather than blaming a party, what we are focused understanding why train performance is below target and making sure plans are in place to fix it, he says.

Image source, bbc

Lib Dem MSP Mike Rumbles asks if Mr Hynes is confirming all skip stopping will be banned.

The ScotRail Alliance manager says he is confirming they are implementing a ban on skip stopping, apart from as a last resort, for example if a station is out of use due to an incident or a lighting failure.

The number of skip stops is down 80% on the previous year and it will not be used to catch up on Public Performance Measures (PPM) anymore.

Performance in the ScotRail franchise is measured by the PPM, which counts the number of occasions at which a train arrives at its final destination within five minutes of the timetabled time, and with no stations skipped in the course of the journey.

Mr Hynes confirms that improvements to timetabling will take effect from December, delivering faster journeys and more seats.

He also highlights ScotRail is creating 350 new jobs.

We are investing in trains, infrastructure, communities and our people, he concludes.

SNP MSP Stewart Stevenson asks about key challenges.

The ScotRail MD insists weather has caused some delays, while others have been down to poor infrastructure, particularly in the Glasgow area.

He says process for weekend engineering work has been strengthened in an attempt to resolve problems on Monday mornings where works have overrun.

Image source, PA

ScotRail's performance level is at its lowest since the franchise began, according to new figures.

They showed 81.8% of services arrived within five minutes of scheduled time between 16 September and 13 October.

ScotRail's moving annual average for punctuality also hit a franchise low of 87.5% - below the agreed breach level of 88.22%.

ScotRail said there had been "significant disruption" as a result of Storm Ali in September.

Read more here.

Image source, bbc

ScotRail Alliance managing director Alex Hynes says: "Our punctuality has not been good enough in recent months."

"I want to apologise for this," he says.

Too often our infrastructure has let us down and it has caused considerable inconvenience to people, Mr Hynes admits.

The ScoRail Alliance managing director says there will be an 8% increase in funding to deal with the weather.

He points to the ban on the use of skip stopping, making it more difficult to meet targets, but a decision with "customers at its heart".

He accepts there have been teething problems with the new trains introduced on the Glasgow to Edinburgh line, but the feedback has been extremely positive.

The committee convener welcomes:

• ScotRail Alliance managing director Alex Hynes
• ScotRail Alliance CEO Angus Thom