SNP transport chief Jenny Gilruth was laughed at in parliament for defending rail services in Fife – after criticism from one of her own party colleagues in the region.
Cowdenbeath SNP MSP Annabelle Ewing stood up at Holyrood to raise concerns including a lack of direct services and passengers being “packed in like sardines”.
Her comments come one day after her brother, the former SNP Government minister Fergus Ewing, voted against his party over delays to dualling the A9 between Perth and Inverness.
‘Packed in like sardines’
On Thursday, Ms Ewing said people living in places such as North Queensferry often cannot get direct trains.
She said commuters going to and from Edinburgh are often in overcrowded carriages.
Responding, Ms Gilruth said: “My train to work this morning was not packed in like sardines.
“There were three carriages and plenty of seats.”
When she was heckled from the opposition benches for her comments, she added: “I use the nationalised rail service regularly and I would encourage other members to do likewise.”
Meeting to be held with ScotRail
Ms Gilruth said she is speaking to ScotRail about problems with timetables in Fife, which she blamed on “poor performance and availability of diesel trains”.
She previously admitted train journeys in Fife take far too long and shared her own travel woes and frustrations with commuting to and from Cupar.
At the SNP party conference last year, she conceded many Fife locals would be quicker using their car for some trips instead of the train.
She regularly reminds ScotRail bosses of her own problems with travelling by train.
She has invited all Fife MSPs, including Ms Ewing, to a meeting with ScotRail to discuss transport concerns and promised to provide an update in a month.
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