The managing director of the ScotRail Alliance is leaving to take up a new role in England.
Phil Verster, who has been in the post since May 2015, is to become managing director of the East West rail project between Oxford and Cambridge.
The 53-year-old has been facing intense pressure in recent months, because of the rail service's failure to meet targets on punctuality and reliability.
The identity of his successor will be announced in the coming days.
Earlier this week, Mr Verster sparked a row at Holyrood over who would pay for free travel for season ticket holders as compensation for ScotRail train delays.
(Permalink) Phil Verster ScotRail

Scotrail's boss yesterday admitted he doesn’t have enough cash to fund a free travel scheme promised by the Scottish Government.
SNP Transport Minister Humza Yousaf announced last month that monthly and annual season-ticket holders will get a “free week” paid as a “thank-you” for their patience during disruption and upgrades.
The Scottish Government said at the time they would fund the £3million freebie.
But ScotRail boss Phil Verster yesterday told MSPs that he had been asked to pay £1.8million of it out of a railway improvement fund.
That fund is valued at £1million and the cash has already been earmarked
 for other projects.
Verster added: “We are working with the Scottish Government to understand how to fund the £3million. We’ve not finalised those conversations. I can’t vouch for whether the scheme goes ahead or not.”
Verster said he got less than three weeks notice
 of the giveaway.
Yousaf was also due to appear before the rural economy and connectivity committee but he was ill.
(Permalink) Humza Yousaf Phil Verster ScotRail

Phil Verster, managing director of ScotRail Alliance, speaks to RTM's Luana Salles about the recently-published 'Investing in the Future' report expected to inform the Scottish governments upcoming rail strategy.
In late September, the Rail Delivery Group (RDG), in partnership with industry representatives including Network Rail and ScotRail, published the 'Investing in the Future' (IITF) report, a long-term strategy document looking 25 years into the future of Scotland's railways.
The document closely followed July's Scotland Route Study developed by Network Rail and other key players, which mooted a number of potential choices the Scottish government could pick from to inform its rail funding decisions between 2019 and 2029. These included major remodelling projects, four-tracking the East Coast Main Line between Drem and Prestonpans, extending platforms and approaches at Edinburgh Waverley, and electrifying even more lines.
(Permalink) Drem Edinburgh Waverley Phil Verster Prestonpans ScotRail Scotland Route Study

THE ScotRail Alliance has unveiled a plan to improve performance, after managing director Phil Verster had described the task of upgrading the network while running trains day-to-day as like ‘performing open heart surgery while doing a marathon’.
Public criticism has been mounting: a petition calling for Abellio to lose its franchise has attracted more than 14,000 signatures, while there have also been questions in the Scottish Parliament.
(Permalink) Abellio Phil Verster ScotRail

An improvement plan to address the Borders Railway's 'unacceptable' performance has been ordered by transport minister Humza Yousaf, it was revealed today. The move came as the first-year passenger journey total for the Edinburgh-Tweedbank route was expected to top 1.4 million - around 20 per cent above target. ScotRail Alliance managing director Phil Verster and transport minister Humza Yousaf cut a cake to celebrate Borders Railway's first birthday Mr Yousaf told The Scotsman said: 'Performance on this line in my view has not been acceptable. 'I am pleased the ScotRail Alliance has put together an improvement plan. 'I will push them to do that as quickly as possible, and expect reliability to be significantly improved.' Scotland on Sunday revealed last month that train performance on the £350 million railway hit a new low at the beginning of August. ScotRail figures showed only about one in four trains - 28.4 per cent - arrived on time. Campaigners said their figures showed the situation was even worse and said the 'shocking' number of delays and cancellations had reached 'epidemic' proportions.
(Permalink) Borders Railway Humza Yousaf Phil Verster ScotRail

ScotRail workers are to launch a fresh wave of strikes in a row over driver-only trains, including two 48-hour walkouts.

Members of the Rail, Maritime and Transport union (RMT) were already due to take strike action over the long-running dispute, but extra dates have now been added.

The union announced that strikes will be held on July 3, 10 and 11 (48 hours), 14 and over the weekend of July 16 and 17.

Phil Verster, managing director of ScotRail, said: 'The RMT have announced another round of needless, damaging strikes on the evening before we are due to come together for talks.
(Permalink) Phil Verster ScotRail

ScotRail staff have walked out for the fourth time in a week - leaving train passengers to face further disruption.
The action is being taken by RMT members in a dispute over proposals to operate more trains without guards.
The union announced seven days of strike action in Scotland on 14 June. The first three walkouts were on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday.
There will also be further 24-hour walkouts on Sunday 3 July, Sunday 10 July and Sunday 17 July.
On Thursday, ScotRail's managing director Phil Verster said he would hold fresh talks with union leaders but his offer was dismissed by the RMT as a 'stunt' and 'classic divide and rule'.
The union said it was consulting mediator Acas but said the weekend strikes would go ahead.
(Permalink) Phil Verster ScotRail

Proposals to run hybrid train-trams on the South Suburban rail line have received a boost from the boss of ScotRail.
Managing director Phil Verster told MSPs they offered a real practical solution to easing pressure on the rail network.
Tram-trains, which are being trialled in Yorkshire and are widely used in Europe, can run on both tram and train tracks.
They could be introduced in Edinburgh under plans by Network Rail to electrify the South Sub to divert more freight trains from running through Waverley. The tram-trains could run into the city centre before switching to tracks on streets.
Mr Verster was previously involved with the Yorkshire experiment in his last job as Network Rails London North East route managing director.


(Permalink) Edinburgh South Suburban Edinburgh Suburban and Southside Junction Railway Phil Verster ScotRail

Proposals to run hybrid trams on Capitals South Suburban rail line received a boost today from the head of the ScotRail Alliance.
Managing director Phil Verster told MSPs they offered a real practical solution to easing pressure on the rail network.
Tram-trains, which are being trialled in Yorkshire and widely used in Europe, can run on both tram and train tracks.
They could be introduced in Edinburgh under plans by Network Rail to electrify the South Sub to divert more freight trains from running through booming Waverley Station. [From Richard Buckby]


(Permalink) Edinburgh South Suburban Edinburgh Suburban and Southside Junction Railway Phil Verster ScotRail

The new Highland Main Line Community Rail Partnership (HML CRP) celebrates its launch at an event at Pitlochry Station today (Monday 9 November 2015).

More than 40 guests– including Deputy First Minister John Swinney and Phil Verster, managing director of the ScotRail Alliance - were welcomed by Sally Spaven, Chair of the HML CRP.

CRPs are designed to form a bridge between the railway and local communities and to work with community groups, businesses and organisations in the area - as well as the rail industry - to encourage more local people and visitors to use trains.

The HML CRP includes the rail route from Dunkeld and Birnam to Carrbridge, taking in Pitlochry, Blair Atholl, Dalwhinnie, Newtonmore, Kingussie, and Aviemore.
(Permalink) Highland Main Line Phil Verster ScotRail

A CHARM offensive to woo passengers and a significant cut in delays will be at the heart of a major shake-up of Scotland’s railways from today, The Scotsman can reveal.
Improvements from better wi-fi to reduced station congestion are also pledged by Phil Verster, managing director of a new “alliance” between train operator ScotRail and track firm Network Rail.
(Permalink) Phil Verster ScotRail

SCOTRAIL managing director Steve Montgomery is to quit - despite new Dutch operators Abellio saying last week he was staying on, the train operator confirmed to The Scotsman today.
He will step down “sometime in May”, a spokeswoman for ScotRail said.
The news came as it was also confirmed that senior Network Rail executive Phil Verster would lead a new ScotRail-Network Rail closer-working “alliance”, and start work shortly.
(Permalink) Abellio Phil Verster ScotRail