ScotRail’s newly launched ticketing app sparked more than 360 complaints from passengers within just 48 hours, prompting managers to set up an emergency command centre as the problems escalated, the Mail can reveal.
During the fallout, rail bosses traded about 600 emails with the app’s supplier, SilverRail, as they tried to contain the disruption. However, the operator has declined to disclose how much public money has been spent on the troubled digital ticketing project.
The nationalised train operator was forced to issue an apology in July after the rollout of what was intended to be its flagship ScotRail ticket app was widely criticised by passengers as chaotic.
Commuters travelling during the morning rush hour found themselves locked out of the app, with many waiting for password reset emails that either failed to arrive or appeared only after significant delays.
ScotRail has confirmed it received 364 formal complaints about the app, but said it could not provide a figure for complaints made on social media because the volume was so high that posts were “not tagged”.
The details emerged in a Freedom of Information response to the Mail, as passengers continue to report issues weeks after the app’s launch, including repeated logouts and ongoing access problems.
ScotRail, brought into public ownership by the SNP government in 2022, faced a wave of criticism from frustrated customers on X in July as the new app struggled under real-world use.
Hundreds of passengers have raised concerns following the launch of the new ScotRail app
One customer service adviser was mocked after telling a passenger struggling with the app that there may be a ‘wee glitch’.
ScotRail now operates a £10 minimum fare policy for those who board a train without buying a ticket beforehand when they had the opportunity to do so.
The app was developed by SilverRail, a private technology firm which provides ticketing and booking platforms for train operators and travel companies.
ScotRail said ‘due to commercial sensitivities’ it could not disclose how much the company was paid.
The firm said between July 30-31, ScotRail had 492 complaints in total ‘out of which 364 have been classified as related to app failures’.
It added: ‘Social media activity was not tagged due to high volume, therefore ScotRail does not hold this information.’
ScotRail refused to reveal how much taxpayers have spent on the SilverRail app, claiming disclosure could harm the commercial interests of the supplier.
It said: ‘We recognise that there is a public interest in disclosing information as part of open and transparent government, and to help account for the expenditure of public money.
‘However, there is a greater public interest in protecting the commercial interests of our suppliers as there are other suppliers who can provide the same services and goods.’
The rail operator revealed that a ‘Command Centre’ was established for almost 12 days, from July 29 to August 10, during the fallout from the ticketing app failures.
Scottish Tory transport spokesman Tim Eagle said: ‘364 complaints in two days, an emergency command centre and passengers locked out of their tickets is some “wee glitch.”
‘This is the reality of SNP-run ScotRail: basic services fail, passengers are left frustrated and ministers are nowhere to be seen.
‘The SNP promised a better railway, but after years in charge they still can’t get the basics right.
‘Passengers deserve a railway that works – not another SNP shambles brushed off as a “wee glitch”.’
Rail chiefs said the app would bring improvements and make booking tickets ‘simpler, faster and more reliable’.
Instead, scores of commuters have found themselves locked out of their accounts.
One wrote on X: ‘Can’t login. Forgot password doesn’t send the reset email. Can’t create a new account because my email address already registered.
‘Why didn’t you just update the existing app instead of this omnishambles?’
Another said: ‘This is awful. Been waiting 20 minutes for the password email to come through, checked spam, nothing.
‘Entered a return ticket, only showed single so I had to go into edit in the order to select return again. Was this even tested?’
Rail chiefs also admitted payment card details would not be transferred to the new app – and warned pre-bought tickets could be lost if customers failed to save them down beforehand.
ScotRail apologised for the issues an hour after the launch.
ScotRail’s Chief Operating Officer David Ross
A spokesman said: ‘We’re sorry for the delay to anyone switching their ScotRail app today. We are working with our technical teams to clear this as quickly as possible.
‘Customers who are having issues can continue to use the old ScotRail app to purchase tickets until midday.’
The company said the command centre was put in place to ensure any problems being reported by customers were immediately dealt with.
It ‘brought together senior people from both ScotRail and SilverRail to respond to technical issues and support frontline staff in helping customers’.
ScotRail added: ‘This remained in place to monitor app performance, as would be expected with the launch of any new app.’
David Ross, ScotRail’s Chief Operating Officer, added: ‘More than 780,000 people have successfully used the app since its launch.
‘We recognise that some customers have experienced issues since the new app was introduced, and we’re sorry for the inconvenience that has caused.
‘We’ve been working closely with our app supplier to make improvements as quickly as possible, and we’ll continue to do that as we deliver wider changes to how people buy tickets from ScotRail.
‘There are a number of new features due to be delivered through the new app over the coming months and we look forward to customers benefiting from these.’
