THE chief executive of Transport Scotland reportedly "hit the roof" at seeing Union flag branding displayed at a Glasgow train station run by ScotRail.
The Scotsman has reported Alison Irvine was angered by the colours of Great British Railways being used at Glasgow Central low level.
The branding is only supposed to be used in Scotland at Edinburgh Waverley and the main part of Glasgow Central station, which are run by Network Rail, and on cross-Border trains such as LNER and Avanti West Coast.
Under an agreement between the UK and Scottish governments, the branding will not be used on ScotRail and Caledonian Sleeper trains, which are controlled by Scottish ministers, or at other ScotRail stations.
Transport Scotland also has to be consulted over GBR branding at Waverley and Central.
But during a one-week promotional display of the GBR branding at Glasgow Central in December, it was mistakenly also applied to the low level station, which is run by ScotRail.
Network Rail chief executive Jeremy Westlake was forced to phone Irvine and apologise for the error.
The paper reports he also issued a “grovelling apology” to Transport Scotland, according to a senior industry source with knowledge of the issue. Network Rail has disputed this.
An industry source said: “Alison Irvine got off a train at Glasgow Central low level and hit the roof when she saw the branding. She was rather cross not to have been informed that it was being installed. The apology she received had ‘a bit of humility’."
In a redacted email obtained by the paper from a freedom of information request, Transport Scotland director of rail reform Bill Reeve told Irvine: “I had a vet [very?] good discussion with Jeremy Westlake today who said [REDACTED] (about which he said he had been unaware).”
Another industry source said: “The redacted note mentions a Bill Reeve conversation with Jeremy and I know that was akin to a grovelling apology. Jeremy also then apologised directly to Alison over the phone on it.
"The [UK Government] Department for Transport (DfT) wanted to showcase new GBR branding and sent contractors out with decals for all of the major stations.
"What they forgot was that the low level at Glasgow Central is operated by ScotRail, not Network Rail, and is therefore a Scottish government station, not a UK government station.
"It’s indicative of inter-government tension that spills over into poor behaviours between DfT and Transport Scotland all too often.”
In a redacted email obtained under FOI, Department for Transport rail reform co-director Elisabeth Cuthbertson had told Reeve: “I understand there’s been a mix-up by Network Rail’s contractor which meant that GBR promotional material was installed in error on the gateline at Glasgow Central low level.
“This isn’t what we or NR had intended - as this was commissioned as an installation just upstairs at the NR managed station for a week.
"We've asked NR to get the contractor in ASAP to get this corrected.”
A Transport Scotland spokesperson said: “GBR branding was applied in error to parts of Glasgow Central station. Network Rail acknowledged this was a mistake and the misplaced branding was removed.”
A Network Rail spokesperson said: “GBR decals were installed at Glasgow Central in December for a short period to provide a glimpse of the new brand identity, as was the case in four other major stations in England.
“However, branding was also installed at the Glasgow Central low level station in error. Once this was identified, we acknowledged and apologised for the mistake and took steps to remove the branding straight away."
