abellio scotrail...feb 13, 2015 · will i need to submit my cv or go for an interview? all...

Question and Answer summary about the new franchise Version 7: last updated 13 February 2015

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Abellio ScotRail We will start operating the ScotRail franchise on 1 April 2015. Hopefully this Question & Answer (Q&A) summary will answer some of the questions you have about the transition to the new franchise, and about our plans. If the answer to your question doesn’t appear here, please drop us an email to: [email protected]. We’ll endeavour to reply to it as soon as possible and will add the most frequently asked ones to this document. If your question is one that you would not like shared in this forum please let us know when asking.

The sections currently included in this document are: 1. Mobilisation ........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................ 2

2. Employment in the new franchise ................................................................................................................................................................................................... 2

a) Transfer ............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................ 2

b) Terms and conditions ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 3

c) Pension ............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................ 4

d) Entitlements ..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 4

3. Our plans for the new franchise ...................................................................................................................................................................................................... 8

a) Engineering / Rolling stock / Operational plans ............................................................................................................................................................................... 8

b) Uniforms and equipment for staff ................................................................................................................................................................................................... 10

c) Other travel arrangements ............................................................................................................................................................................................................. 12

d) Systems.......................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 12

e) Other .............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 13

Newly added Q&As are highlighted in red.

mailto:[email protected]


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1. Mobilisation

Mobilisation is the period between us being awarded the franchise and starting to operate it on 1 April 2015. During this time we have a team that is sorting out all the details to enable a smooth and successful transfer of operations from First Group to Abellio.

Question Answer

We’ve heard that between now and April you are ‘mobilising’ but what does this involve?

The type of activities this includes are: getting our Safety Certificate and Licence from the Office of Rail Regulation for running ScotRail; arranging leases for the rolling stock we need; reviewing and setting up almost 500 contracts with suppliers used by ScotRail; making sure the IT platforms and information are transferred for Day 1, this covers most things in the business from operation systems (eg Trust) to ticketing and accounting - and also the rostering and payroll systems so you get paid after 1 April; and many more. Please feel free to chat to members of the mobilisation team if you see us around.

2. Employment in the new franchise

If you currently work for First ScotRail and are transferring into the new Abellio ScotRail franchise then your rights are protected under legislation, known as ‘TUPE’. For more details about what this means, please read through the Q&A in this section:

a) Transfer

Question Answer

What is TUPE? TUPE is the abbreviation for the Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) Regulations 2006. TUPE protects employees’ terms and conditions when a business or undertaking, or part of one, is transferred to a new employer.

Will my employment transfer under the TUPE Regulations?

Employees who are in-scope and assigned at the point of transfer (ie working in identified roles to deliver the current services) will TUPE transfer to the new franchise on 1 April 2015, with all their existing terms and conditions.

Is the transfer permanent? Yes, you will receive formal notification of the intention for you to transfer and then confirmation that the transfer has been completed.

Will my length of service be fully transferred?

Yes. Continuity of employment is protected, which means that employees who transfer to Abellio ScotRail will take their existing length of service with them as if they had always worked for us.

If I am selected for TUPE, will I receive a job offer or new contract from Abellio?

No, you will not receive a job offer or new contract as under TUPE your employment transfers automatically. Your current contract of employment will continue to apply, but you will get a letter confirming a change of employer to Abellio ScotRail.

How does the TUPE process affect people off sick?

Anyone off sick does not affect the transfer, employees will still TUPE across on the same terms. Sickness and absence records will also transfer across as part of the continuity of employment.

If I have concerns regarding the transfer, who should I talk to?

Please talk to your line manager or speak to the current HR team, who will be able to advise. Also, your staff representatives will be involved in the TUPE consultation. They will collate questions and pass any information back to you.


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Question Answer

What happens if I am on holiday or off sick during the consultation process?

Line managers and the existing HR team should make arrangements to ensure those on leave are kept up to date with any communications. This applies to people on maternity leave, career breaks, and long-term sick leave or deployed in the Reserve Forces.

b) Terms and conditions

Question Answer Will any of my Terms and Conditions change?

You will transfer on your existing contractual terms and conditions. The TUPE Regulations is the employee protection legislation that applies in the UK. It has the effect that anyone whose principal work moves to another employer, transfers to that company with contractual terms and conditions that are directly comparable to the ones they already enjoy. Any changes to terms and conditions remain the subject of consultation or negotiation.

Will I need to submit my CV or go for an interview?

All employees in-scope will automatically transfer. We will not require CVs and applications for that process.

On transferring will I get a new contract?

No, your current contract of employment will continue to apply, but you will get a letter confirming a change of employer to Abellio ScotRail.

Will my hours of work alter? There should be no change to your contractual hours of work. If there is a requirement to change working arrangements at any time, this will be done following the established consultation processes in the normal way.

How will people returning from maternity leave after the transfer date be affected?

People in ‘assigned’ posts who are on maternity leave from First on transfer day will transfer under TUPE. They will continue to be employed by Abellio ScotRail on their transferred terms and return to work as agreed with First, once their maternity leave has ended.

NEW 30/12: Are there any plans to make changes to the current family friendly policy, in particular to the Maternity/Paternity Leave entitlement? If so, how would this affect staff who inform HR of their intent to take said leave but who have yet to commence leave when the franchise switches over?

We have no plans to make any changes to the current policy, indeed the maternity/paternity leave entitlements are part of the terms and conditions that transfer across with you into the new franchise. We will also honour any request for maternity/paternity leave made to First ScotRail prior to the transfer even though it will not be taken until after the 1st April 2015 when Abellio becomes the train operator. We hope that puts your mind at rest and wish you all the best for 2015!

NEW 28/01: Do you have plans to make Sunday part of the working week?

As you can imagine, this is a debate that is often played out in our other TOCs! Some employees are keen, others not so and of course there has to be a business case that makes it a sensible proposition. Bringing Sundays into the working week was not part of our bid. We would not rule out discussions at some point over the franchise period, but it would need constructive negotiations with your Trade Unions and representatives to make it a cost effective option.


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c) Pension

Question Answer What does the change in franchise operator mean for our pensions?

The only thing that will change will be the name of the pension fund Section – to the Abellio ScotRail Section. If you are currently a member of the Railway Pension Scheme (RPS), First ScotRail Section, you will continue to be a member of the RPS and your accrued benefits transferred to the re-named Section. The existing pension contribution rate and benefits remain unchanged. If you are part of the Salary Sacrifice arrangements (sometimes called Smart Pensions), this arrangement will also transfer.

NEW 15/01: I started working for ScotRail in November 2014 and as yet, I still have a pension fund outstanding from my previous employer. I was told that First Group didn’t allow new employees to transfer over pension funds to their scheme, so I was wondering if this is something that you will implement come April 2015?

We’re in the process of arranging a ‘Deed' to transfer the pension Section to us, as the new employer, from 1 April 2015; this will enable the legal transfer and continuation of the existing pension arrangements beyond 1 April. The decision not to allow new members to transfer previous pension savings from plans outside the rail industry was made by the Trustees some time ago and written into the Scheme Rules; and any changes to these existing Rules must be discussed and approved by the Pension Trustees.

At this stage, all we can do is note your question and speak to the Trustees about that decision once we become the designated employer. We appreciate that it doesn’t answer your question directly but unfortunately it is out of our control at the moment.

d) Entitlements

Question Answer What is happening to our ScotRail free travel cards?

We have agreed to continue providing the existing free travel concessions currently enjoyed by staff and their dependants. We have asked First ScotRail to issue new cards to all current holders. These will be sent out shortly as they expire at the end of 2014.

What annual leave will I be entitled to?

As your contract of employment is unchanged, your annual leave entitlement is unaffected. Any days you have already taken for the year up to the transfer date will of course be deducted from your normal annual entitlement.

Will accumulated lieu leave be carried over to Abellio ScotRail?

Yes - they will transfer with you and can be taken in accordance with the current arrangements for taking such leave.

What happens to my sick pay entitlement?

Under the terms of the transfer, your existing sick pay arrangements continue, any already taken will be taken into account for future sickness as now.


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NEW 29/12: Can you please clarify that all First ScotRail staff can use their smartcards for privilege travel on the sleeper services.

As you will probably be aware, the new Smartcards to replace those expiring at the end of 2014 have been/are being issued by First ScotRail for use from January 2015. We have agreed with Serco that the travel concessions currently in place for existing First ScotRail staff who transfer to either the new ScotRail or Caledonian Sleeper franchises will continue, so our expectation is that those arrangements will be honoured. We are just checking with First ScotRail about how these current privilege arrangements are applied to make sure Serco are aware and we will get back to you again when we have their responses. Follow-up 15/01: We have now been in touch with First ScotRail to clarify the current arrangements for employees who want to travel on the Sleeper service; and with Serco to get clarity on future arrangements once it takes over the Sleeper franchise. In summary: • today, employees get free travel on Sleeper Services by showing their ScotRail Smartcard to make a reservation

– this is subject to availability because the number of free berths are limited, and restrictions may apply. This privilege is available regardless of whether the employee is safeguarded or not (ie staff who were working on the Railway prior to privatisation are 'safeguarded' certain free travel concessions on the rail network).

• If an employee joined after 1st April 1996, they will be a 'non-safeguarded' employee and currently have an ATOC privilege card to enable them to purchase reduced rate travel on other train operators’ services

• with the Sleeper franchise being run separately from the rest of the ScotRail franchise from 1 April 2015, Serco could have decided to apply the privilege card rules for non-safeguarded employees (which would mean reduced rate rather than free tickets). However, the great news for ScotRail employees is that they will all be able to continue to use their recently reissued ScotRail Smartcard to get free travel on Sleeper services beyond 1st April 2015.

We hope that clarifies for you, please do not hesitate to contact us if it is still unclear.

NEW 29/12: At the minute we can travel on other First Group TOC services using our "free passes" will there be arrangements for this to continue? Will there be arrangements for us to use our passes on other Abellio franchises?

The arrangement you describe is one set up by First Group specifically to cover its own existing TOC services and will therefore cease once the franchise is transferred to Abellio Group. We do currently have reciprocal travel concession arrangements in our three existing franchises but there are a number of questions and steps to be taken before we can confirm those going forward (eg Merseyrail is a concession and passenger revenue income goes to Merseytravel Passenger Transport Authority - therefore it is not solely our decision; and in May 2015 part of Abellio Greater Anglia is due to transfer into the new Transport for London Crossrail concession, to be operated by MTR with similar revenue implications). If we get the necessary clearances we will communicate this with ScotRail colleagues in due course.


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NEW 30/12: At the present time I am fit and healthy and enjoy my work very much, however, during the next five years I will at some point decide to retire. As a non-safeguarded member of staff my wife and I would retain our staff travel in retirement under the current arrangements. When Abellio take over • will there be any change to this under Abellio and what would those changes be? • will those ex-employees who have already retired and their spouses retain their right to travel concessions?

A formal announcement will be made nearer the time of transfer, as we wait to confirm certain details of staff travel with Serco, the new Caledonian Sleeper operator, about arrangements on that part of the network. However, it is our intention to reinstate the retired staff travel concessions for ScotRail staff who retire after we take over the new franchise in April 2015, under the same conditions in place now. So when you do decide to retire you will be able to retain those travel benefits while we operate the franchise. We also intend to honour the travel concessions for those retired staff and spouses who currently enjoy those facilities. As you may be aware, we have asked First ScotRail to reissue new ScotRail Smartcards to all those staff, retired and current, and dependants who are currently in possession of the ones that expire today. Again there is some detail to finalise before we can announce. I hope that puts your mind at rest for when you do decide to hang up your uniform! Best wishes for the New Year and we look forward to working with you from April 2015.

NEW 22/01: I was just wondering if Abellio plan to operate any kind of cycle to work scheme when the franchise changes?

As you can imagine, with our Dutch experience, cycling is something that’s important to us and that we think we can develop and integrate into Scotland’s national railway! We're aiming to support the Scottish Government’s Cycling Action Plan and its target for 10% of all journeys in Scotland to be by bike by 2020. We’ve got plans to increase and improve cycle facilities at many stations with CyclePoints, Cycleparks and our ‘Bike&Go’ bike hire scheme. We also believe it’s important for our future colleagues to be able to be part of the shift towards using bikes instead of other forms of transport to get to stations/work (and in some cases support their goals for a healthier lifestyle), so we also have plans for a cycle to work scheme in the new franchise. This is likely to come to fruition in 2016, as we have lots of other things to do first as part of our commitments to Transport Scotland.

NEW 04/02: Will you be continuing with the childcare vouchers?

Yes – we are planning to continue the childcare vouchers scheme. That said, we are still in the process of finalising commercial discussions for a contract before we can confirm arrangements.

NEW 23/01: I would like to know if Abellio will continue to provide a company-sponsored healthcare scheme such as Health Shield?

We recognise the benefit of having a healthy workforce and are making arrangements to continue providing the Health Shield cover to staff who opt into the RPS Saver Scheme. We’ll share more details once they’re available.


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NEW 23/01: I am currently paying towards a save as you earn (SAYE) and buy as you earn (BAYE) scheme with First Group. Do you know when the money I have saved in BAYE and SAYE over the years will be returned to me?

Both the BAYE and SAYE are First Group schemes and we do not have access to how they work or what the steps are if someone leaves. That said, we’ve spoken to First to find out what your next step ought to be, and they have advised us that a notice on the Share Schemes is posted on the current ScotRail intranet, issued as a guidance for staff in November last year. We also understand that a Q&A document with further details has been added to the intranet this week. In case you do not have access to the intranet, the First team would be happy to email you a copy. Their email contact address is [email protected]. If you have any questions about details on SAYE and BAYE, please contact the First Share Schemes Helpline on 0845 1 200 300.

NEW 29/01: Will you be doing a buy/save as you earn scheme that First have been doing? And if so when would we be able to start this?

We’re not planning or even able to start new BAYE/SAYE-type schemes such as the one that has been offered by First. The reason is straightforward, unlike First Group, Abellio is not a stockmarket-listed company with shares, so having a share-based scheme would simply not be possible. We’d like to reiterate that you should contact the First Share Schemes Helpline on 0845 1 200 300 if you have any questions about what your choices now are if you are in one of the First Group schemes; details are also available on the First intranet for those of you who have access.

NEW 28/01: Currently, at First we have employee discount on holidays, shopping and cash back on First Exclusives. These have been around for years; does Abellio have or will you set something up similar?

We do operate Money Saver schemes in our other rail franchises, which include discounts on holidays, airport parking, insurances, theatres, restaurants, DIY and retail shopping etc, and our plan is to replace the First Group staff benefits scheme so that you will be able to continue to enjoy such benefits as a ScotRail employee.

NEW 29/01: Please could you explain what the gain-share initiative, mentioned in the press release, is about?

We do have ideas for a ‘gain-sharing initiative’, where all employees can participate and share in an annual bonus based on achievement of our overall ScotRail business targets. The idea is founded on the type of staff bonus scheme operated by John Lewis, which you may have heard of. Given that we’re not the employer until April and we need to discuss the principles and any arrangements with your trade union representatives, this is another area we will be working on once we are situ rather than at the moment.

NEW 11/02: Will staff who were meant to be going through their 'A units' be able to get to do them?

In the new franchise most normal business processes will continue to operate in the same way, including competence assessments. So there will be a continued need for qualified assessors across the business.


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3. Our plans for the new franchise

a) Engineering / Rolling stock / Operational plans

Question Answer NEW 16/12: We work at Haymarket depot, Edinburgh and are seeking some clarification on the future engineering plans for the business. With the influx of new Hitachi trains in 2017 which it seems are to be based at a new depot at Millerhill, and the arrival of 27 HST sets around 2018 it would be logical to assume that the bulk or all of the Class 170's will be returned to the Rosco. This raises several questions about future staffing levels at Haymarket. Will the HST's be maintained here or will the work be contracted out to the holder of the East Coast franchise at Craigentinny? If the work is contacted out what does the future hold for Haymarket as the workload will be reduced significantly with only 158's allocated here and Corkerhill now doing some of this work? Will the staff at Millerhill work for the ScotRail franchise or Hitachi? We think that these questions need to be answered by whatever means are at your disposal. We are unsure of the protocol for contacting the staff at present but it has gone awfully quiet since the initial announcement and this only leads to rumour and speculation (such as 8 class 158 and 4 class 170 leaving the fleet in the near future). We all want the best for the business in the long term but obviously job security is very important to all of us. Thank you for your time in advance.

Thank you for your questions. We appreciate that any period of change is unsettling for staff and we will try to answer as many of your questions as we can at the moment. We stress in doing so that we are not trying to substitute or bypass the formal procedures that exist with your recognised trade union representatives. We will fully consult with them when we are in a position to do so; however, in the meantime we can tell you that Abellio has given a commitment that there will be no compulsory redundancies, which we hope will allay many fears. The planned changes in the new franchise will affect a number of depots. Whilst we recognise there will be reductions in workload at Haymarket, there will be more than 20% more vehicles in the revised ScotRail fleet in 2019 than at the start of the franchise. This is to accommodate the expected growth in passenger numbers that there will be during the franchise. We will have to keep DMUs in the early years to then be able to carry the extra passengers towards the end of the franchise. The introduction of HSTs and the new EMUs will have an impact at Haymarket. The changes will not, however, begin until December 2017, following electrification of the EGIP (Edinburgh Glasgow Improvement Programme) route. There will be further changes by December 2018. I can confirm there will be four fewer Class 170s on day one (1 April 2015), as these units have been signed up to operate on the new Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR) franchise. All 9 x Class 170 Eversholt units have been leased to GTR, but 5 x Class 170s units are being sub-leased back to ScotRail. The exact number of DMUs at Haymarket is not yet finalised but whatever happens there will still be a mix of Class 158s and Class 170s. The facilities at Millerhill will be limited to the facilities of a light maintenance depot, as the exam work required on the new EMUs will be undertaken by Hitachi at Craigentinney. Hitachi will become the depot operator at Craigentinney before the IEP trains are introduced. Our contracts will be with Hitachi rather than the East Coast operator, Virgin/Stagecoach. The HST workload is envisaged to be split between Inverness and Craigentinney. We will confirm numbers of DMUs at Haymarket as soon as we are able to; and are fully committed to undertaking all levels of necessary consultation / negotiation / bargaining with your representatives at the appropriate time. At the moment the mobilisation team is undertaking many different activities and as and when we are able to do so we will communicate more and more details about our future plans for the franchise. The channels we will use will include a website with Q&As on it, a freephone number to call us, a Facebook page and the opportunity to meet us face-to-face at roadshows – the exact dates are to be confirmed but likely to be towards the end of February. We will share more details with staff very soon, once all channels are set up and working.


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NEW 03/02: What is Abellio’s policy regarding rail staff having to travel by taxis as part of their diagram? A lot of taxis we have to get are not safe due to taxi drivers working way longer than 12 hours.

A number of existing diagrams don’t work without the use of taxis and so we will need to continue to use them, at least in the short-term, unless another solution can be found. We are aware of similar concerns across a number of TOCs, and have taken steps in the others we operate to challenge the cab companies to ensure their drivers are fit and rested when working. We take employee safety very seriously and will have performance indicators for the taxi contractor as part of future contract discussions with them. In the meantime, we would urge you to report any incidents immediately to your line manager so that direct action can be taken.

NEW 06/02: With regards to the new AT200 stock to be built for EGIP, has any consideration gone into the interior design and how passengers use the various areas of the current trains - luggage storage and how wheelchair areas are actually seen and used by the majority of passengers. First Class is also a massive area of contention with the majority of users either being East Coast advance ticket holders or “chancers” travelling with standard class tickets creating regular instances of conflict with staff, particularly outside the peaks. Often these compartments just lie idle for much of the day. Perhaps consideration could be given to abolishing First Class on the Edinburgh - Glasgow route in favour of much needed increased capacity.

The Train Technical Specification (TTS) was developed by Transport Scotland over several years and was very prescriptive for the internal layout, specifically the layout and number of seats, the amount of bay and airline seating, access to tables and power points. Naturally, we had to follow this specification when we developed our bid plans. We fully understand the need to provide usable space for all our customers; and as with many things in life there are trade-offs to be made. We’re sure the new trains will see a substantial improvement in customer satisfaction. As for First Class, we anticipate retaining it on Edinburgh-Glasgow but not on other routes. That said, from December 2017 there will be less First Class accommodation on Edinburgh-Glasgow than the current Class 170 formations. This is because of under-utilisation of First Class. In terms of doing something about the growing number of customers travelling by train, we will also be operating limited seven coach formations from December 2016, more in December 2017 and some eight-car formations from December 2018. This will provide welcome extra capacity, particularly in the peaks.

NEW 06/02: With regards to traincare depots, are Abellio planning any restructuring of depots or changes that we should know about?

We have no plans to restructure traincare depots. Work for the traincare team will increase as we plan to have more vehicles by the end of the franchise to accommodate the predicted growth. Plans at depots and stabling points will be developed as and when the new and additional stock comes on line and will be consulted with staff in due course.

NEW 06/02: Is it true that when Abellio starts running HST services that they will be worked by drivers from a freight company and not our own drivers?

Where do these rumours come from?! Obviously, we need to consult with your representatives about the introduction, and where and how to balance the diagrammed work, but we expect our own ScotRail drivers to be trained and to operate the HST services.


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NEW 11/02: The station in Thurso was due to be refurbished late last year but has since been put on hold due to the changeover. Will Abellio be completing these current plans?

We're aware that facilities at Thurso require attention, including toilets and lockers. We're already planning a number of improvements at most stations such as CCTV and CIS and Thurso is on the list for these. It’s likely that you’ll be getting cycle stands too. With regard to the wider proposals for Thurso that you mentioned, once we’re up and running in the franchise we will review the postponed plans and work with Network Rail and local businesses to develop the case for more comprehensive schemes with funding from a number of sources (NR renewals, Scottish Stations Fund, the local community). This is something we have a very strong track record in our other franchises.

NEW 11/02: In regard to the alcohol ban will Abellio be making any changes to it as it stands? Northern apparently have completely dry trains on weekends from 19:00; you are not even allowed to carry any unopened alcohol.

We were asked this question at the TUPE consultation meeting and confirmed that we intend to continue with the current approach. The approach we’ve taken at Northern could be an option at ScotRail in future but it would have to be driven by the need to keep staff, customers and the train safe from abuse and alcohol-related problems.

NEW 11/02: I read in the Abellio TUPE document about 21 stations becoming tickets plus outlets. Can you explain if this means they are becoming "Mini Tescos" like some stations have on Merseyrail?

‘Tickets Plus’ outlets will indeed be similar to the 9 successful 'M to Go’ outlets on our Merseyrail franchise and our 140 ‘Kiosk' outlets in Holland, which have proven very popular with customers because they combine retail and ticketing. They’re one of several of our initiatives that are designed to respond to customer feedback and improve passenger satisfaction with station facilities. Because of our parent company's retailing expertise (our sister division, NS Stations, operates over 350 retail outlets in Europe from cafes to convenience stores to chemists to fashion stores), we're in a strong position to develop new retail concepts at stations that will provide valued customer services and help to place stations at the heart of their local communities. And, importantly, we've also found that these concepts provide an attractive and stimulating working environment for our employees.

b) Uniforms and equipment for staff

Question Answer NEW 15/01: Was wondering if we will be getting new mobiles to replace the BlackBerry mobiles which First issue us with?

We plan to replace all the existing mobiles – and there are a lot – with new Smartphones, together with a number of apps that are being developed to help colleagues provide information and give even better customer service. Our proposed plan would see all of them replaced by the early Autumn.


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NEW 02/02: When the staff who have company mobile phones and they are replaced with the smart phones will they be keeping the same mobile phone number they have at present, also will it be easy to transfer all their stored contact numbers.

Our intention is that people will be able to keep their existing mobile phone numbers when we issue the new smart phones. We’re also planning to put a solution in place that means people will be able to transfer their address book details. That said, we'd like to stress that there is some detail to finalise before we can confirm our plans. We’ll let you know more details as they emerge.

NEW 20/01: Will we be getting a new uniform for start of business on 1st April and can you tell us a bit about it i.e. colour and what it consists of, also will we be asked about our sizes or are you just going to go with the current information that First ScotRail currently hold?

We’ve started the design process for new uniforms and intend to seek feedback on the existing ones so that we can finalise design and garment requirements. Our intention is to replace the existing uniforms in the Autumn with new ones aligned to the branding and colours dictated by Transport Scotland in their specification for the franchise; in the meantime, we will issue new ScotRail name badges and ties/scarves to be worn from the start date. We've asked First ScotRail for the current sizing to help with order quantities, but from previous comments it seems like it may be a good idea to check those with staff before production! We will be formally consulting with staff representatives and Trade Unions officials on the various transfer arrangements, including our plans for uniforms, before we can confirm full details. You’ll be able to find details of any consultation meetings on the Abellio ScotRail employees pages, and we’d encourage you to speak to your representatives if you’d like them to raise any questions or concerns about uniforms at one of those meetings.

NEW 23/01: Is it definite that uniforms will not be issued until Autumn? If so, with April approaching what happens about wearing First clothing after this date as most of it is branded with First?

We can’t roll a uniform out earlier than autumn if we want to be sure of getting it right, and we can only do that by engaging with you, the wearers (as we’ll do via your reps, and as we’ve started to do in our Facebook group and had loads of responses, thank you). It’s just not possible to do that properly, get designs sorted, sizings gathered and items manufactured ready for the start of the franchise Our procurement team is working to ensure that there are uniform items available between 1st April and the launch of the new uniform to cover replenishments for worn out, damaged uniform, new starters etc. We will though have to be sensible and be conscious that a new uniform is to be issued in October-time. We will essentially have to buy the uniforms from First, but they will want all logos removed or covered up. For some items this is easy, but tricky for others and at the moment we don’t have a solution; it may be for some items that we have to buy unbranded alternatives. That said, we can assure you that you won’t have to turn up without uniform on day 1!


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c) Other travel arrangements

Question Answer NEW 19/01: Currently we have the option to purchase Friends and Family tickets with First ScotRail. I was just wondering if this would continue when we change to Abellio ScotRail?

We understand that these offers are part of a First Group travel initiative and are not valid for other train or bus operators. As Abellio is a new owning group with a different portfolio of operations, the offers will no longer be available from 1 April. That’s not to discount the possibility that there may be offers in the future; in our Northern Rail franchise we have developed a similar arrangement for limited periods, where friends and family can purchase special fixed rate tickets for Northern services using coupons provided by our staff. However, such an initiative would be for the new franchise’s management team (rather than us as the mobilisation team) to decide after the transfer, as part of their revenue strategy. As you are probably already aware, we have agreed to continue the free ScotRail Smartcard concession for staff and their dependents in addition to the ATOC free and privilege travel facilities being provided for safeguarded and non-safeguarded staff, together with reciprocal travel concessions with the new operator of Caledonian Sleeper.

NEW 26/01: Can you please confirm if rumours are true that staff travel on the Sleeper will be restricted to 2 berths a night per train.

The rumour is not true: Serco has no current intention to vary the current sleeper travel arrangement for existing or previous staff. Out of interest, they've told us that they're keen to get an insight into the level of usage going forward, to understand how staff use the service that they're taking over.

d) Systems

Question Answer NEW 28/01: Are there plans to update to a newer version of Avantix or a completely new system to be able to issue tickets more reliably than what we have now.

Given the Avantix machines are now becoming outdated, during 2016 we intend to replace them with a next generation machine to resolve the issues you currently experience with them. So there won't be an immediate improvement once the franchise starts, but it won't be too far behind.

NEW 11/02: Will there be an immediate increase in the amount of SmartCard enabled lines or will this need to wait until the Avantix replacement?

The rollout strategy for Smart is still being fine-tuned in consultation with Transport Scotland during the mobilisation period, and please be assured that infrastructure capability is something we’re considering in detail when we’re putting our plans together. In terms of infrastructure, there will be a complete replacement of mobile TIS (Avantix) as well as significant investment in new TVMs as well as the replacement of old ones. In parallel with investing in the infrastructure (rather than waiting for the Avantix replacement), we will be focusing on a wider rollout of season tickets on smart. Once infrastructure issues are resolved, we will then be ready to focus on marketing campaigns to increase the number of customers using Smart products by making more ticket types available on Smart, e.g. Anytime and Off-peak tickets. Our initial focus for smart will be to link up the 7 cities (Glasgow, Edinburgh, Perth, Aberdeen, Dundee, Inverness & Stirling).


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NEW 29/01: How about consideration for external online access to intranet - particularly rosters - and some form of email/online application for lieu days to do away with the current fax obsession?

We understand that FSR is currently implementing a new rostering system called IRMA, which will allow you to do some of the things you’ve commented on, such as see your rosters, request days off and offer ‘swaps’ to colleagues. We’re still in the middle of understanding the details behind this system, but it may be that there will be a way to access this type of information online in future.

NEW 29/01: What sort of intranet will be available at stations and will all staff have access to it? Also will there be Internet?

Our plans include making sure that everyone will be able to access the intranet, as is the case in our other TOCs. We think it’s really important, so you’ll be able to access the intranet via any location and device that has an internet connection.

NEW 29/01: I was wondering if the ePay system of getting the payslips and P60s online is going to continue with the start of the new franchise. If it is, will it be the same system i.e. Payslips from before the franchise changeover would still be available?

We intend to retain the existing systems and pay arrangements, at least in the short term, so the payslip arrangements will continue. As we’re looking into the issue of data transfer, we cannot yet answer the question about whether you will be able to access your historical payslip information online after 1 April. In case this isn’t possible, we recommend that you download copies of what you want to keep before the new franchise starts. Again, we’ll let you know more details as they emerge.

e) Other

Question Answer NEW 11/02: Will Abellio continue the staff suggestion scheme and run it so there’s follow-up and feedback? And will the GEM awards continue and be improved?

It appears that the staff suggestion scheme was stopped late last year and was replaced by the online ‘innovation station’ scheme which ScotRail developed in collaboration with a number of staff representatives. The GEM awards were also replaced by the online recognition shop, giving an opportunity for managers to issue gifts to staff for ‘going the extra mile’. Our intention is to build on what exists today and introduce a new rewards & recognition scheme; once we’ve started operating that new franchise we’ll review the current schemes and consider any feedback. You may be interested to know that we also have various working groups across our different operators, which mean we can share the expertise of frontline employees - ScotRail will take part in this too. And the 'Innovator of the Year’ award in our annual ‘Abellio Achievement Awards’ (again, open to all our colleagues at all our operations) last year went to an Abellio Greater Anglia colleague for his solution to upgrade and improve the CCTV system on the Class 317 fleet, improving reliability and saving over £250k in costs. More details of all these ways of getting involved will be shared in due course, but I hope this has given you a flavour of what’s to come in our new franchise.

abellio scotrail...feb 13, 2015 · will i need to submit my cv or go for an interview? all...

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