A Dundee councillor is seeking assurances plans to introduce more trains at Broughty Ferry will not be derailed by technical faults.
Lioberal Democrat Broughty Ferry councillor Craig Duncan wrote to ScotRail managing director Alex Hynes after the train operator was forced to withdraw all of its new class 385 Hitachi trains from services.
The fleet of new trains was introduced in July and had been operating on the Edinburgh/Glasgow line.
But all three Hitachi class trains were removed from service for testing after engineers found a technical fault in one of the trains.
Mr Duncan said he fears this could lead to a shortage of trains available to deliver the additional services promised for Broughty Ferry although ScotRail says it is “confident” there will be no delay.
He said: “ScotRail has made promises to us that the introduction of these new high-speed class 385 Hitachi trains for Glasgow/Edinburgh would release rolling stock which, along with infrastructure improvements, would ensure the delivery of the enhanced timetable for Broughty Ferry rail services and other east coast stations.
“It is therefore very concerning that the new trains have already been taken off due to technical faults and I have written to Mr Hynes seeking assurances that there will be no further delays for the Broughty Ferry train frequency improvements.”
The introduction of the new trains was supposed to provide enough capacity for ScotRail to provide an hourly services between Dundee and Arbroath that stops in the Ferry.
Mr Duncan said: “It is therefore really important that ScotRail delivers on the promises it has made to the people of Broughty Ferry and other east coast communities.
“As recently as last Monday, ScotRail was trumpting about the improved east coast timetable from December so the news later last week about the new 385 Hitachi trains for Glasgow/Edinburgh having a technical fault is concerning given its potential knock-on effect.
“I am therefore seeking ScotRail’s Managing Director’s assurances that the new improved services for the east coast will be delivered by December.”
Councillor Duncan has also asked ScotRail why direct services between Glasgow and Arbroath will no longer operate from Monday to Saturday.
A ScotRail spokesman said: “Hitachi is currently testing its trains, but we’re confident that the additional services at Broughty Ferry will be delivered as planned.”
