Before even hitting its first year under the Scottish Government, ScotRail has forked out just under £650,000 in payments to customers who dealt with late-running trains, figures show.

The SNP-run administration has been told they have “lost all sense of direction” as they gear up to celebrate their first year with the rail service.

Figures published by ScotRail now show that in the first nine months of the 2022/23 financial year, the total amount paid out was £647,077.71 for 38,592 different claims.

Commuters are entitled to make claims to the delay repay scheme when their train is delayed by 30 minutes or more.

Scottish Liberal Democrat transport spokesperson Jill Reilly said: “Ministers are now directly responsible for the trains, but they seem to have lost all sense of direction.

“Not only is that a source of huge frustration for commuters and holiday makers, but it’s cost the public purse more than £600,000. And that’s just for those who have applied for a refund- there may be thousands more who have been similarly inconvenienced, but they’ve just not claimed.

Want to see more SNP fails? – Health Matters