A Lockerbie rail operator with an appalling service record “fiddled” its cancellation figures.
TransPennine Express used a legal loophole to under-report the number of times it axed trains through the station.
And it has now been warned that its contract may not be renewed in May unless it improves.
The under-fire operator submitted performance figures to the Office of Rail and Road, a government body, claiming a cancellation rate of 8.9 per cent for the four weeks to February 4.
But it has now been revealed that, once services cancelled on the day before they were due to run are taken into account, the actual rate jumps to a staggering 23.7 per cent.
Dumfriesshire MP David Mundell this week raised the issue with Prime Minister Rishi Sunak in the House of Commons and called for action to improve the service.
He said: “I have previously called out the appalling level of service my constituents receive from TransPennine.
“Last month, TransPennine had the largest number of cancellations of any service provider in the UK, but it turns out even this figure was fiddled, because the company had cancelled over 1,000 trains before 10.30pm the night before, so they don’t show up in the statistics.
“Does the Prime Minister agree with me this practice is totally unacceptable as is their level of service?”
And he added: “Taking the contract away from TransPennine must be the ultimate sanction if they cannot raise their game and provide a standard of service my constituents expect and deserve.”
In his response, Mr Sunak agreed that “the current service levels are unacceptable”.
The Prime Minister stated that the Rail North Partnership, which runs the TransPennine franchise, was in talks with government officials on a service improvement plan.
And he added: “The TransPennine contact expires in May, if ministers conclude that the operator cannot be turned around, then other decisions will have to be made.”
Mr Mundell welcomed the response. He said: “I am glad that the Prime Minister shares my view that TransPennine’s service to my constituents is unacceptable, and I am in complete agreement that if this doesn’t change over the next few months then more drastic action will indeed be needed.”
Lockerbie customers have been complaining for years about the shoddy service from TransPennine on the West Coast Main Liner through the town. And they face further disruption next month when the route will close for 16 days due to upgrade works at Carstairs Junction by Network Rail engineers.
The closure of the line, between March 4 and March 19, is the first phase of a three-month programme which will see trains diverted and journey-times extended between March and June for all services between Glasgow/Edinburgh and Carlisle.
Meanwhile, South Scotland MSP Colin Smyth has renewed calls for TransPennine Express and Avanti West Coast to lose their rail franchise, after it was revealed services from Lockerbie Station won’t be covered in the Scottish Government’s plans to remove peak fares.
TransPennine has repeatedly apologised to Lockerbie customers for the poor level of service.
