New strike action is coming this week as RMT members walk-out over ongoing pay dispute with Network Rail, impacting ScotRail services across the north and north-east.
Throughout the last few months people in Scotland have had to get used to intermittent strikes, which upend the normal running of trains services across the country.
New strikes on Thursday, August 18 and Saturday August 20 are certain to bring more disruption for Scots, especially in north and north-east communities.
/3 We are pleased to confirm we are able to expand the number of routes we can cover on strike days to include services in Fife and the Borders, as well as the Central Belt. You can view these below. pic.twitter.com/cKWJh3B1Q6
— ScotRail (@ScotRail) August 15, 2022
ScotRail – due to their reliance on Network Rail for signaling across the network – are reducing services down to routes in the Glasgow and Edinburgh area.
It means no train services will run north of the Central Belt, effectively cutting off Inverness, Aberdeen, Perth and Dundee from each other and the central Scotland.
No ScotRail services to Aberdeen or Inverness
There will be no commuting between major northern centres of Aberdeen and Inverness as well as vital services to rural communities on the Far North Line.
Rural communities rely on regular train services to make their daily commutes to populations centres like Wick, Thurso, Elgin, Inverness and Aberdeen.
While RMT members are planning to strike on just Thursday and Saturday, ScotRail warn that passengers should expect disruption from Wednesday onwards.
It is due to ScotRail having to redistribute essential staff to other routes in preparation for members walk-out so routes that are running face minimal impact.
It comes as RMT leaders rejected a 4% pay rise offer from Network Rail, which they argue is not in line with the rising rate of inflation and would actually be a pay cut.
ScotRail are urging passengers to find out how strike action affects their journey in the coming days.
David Simpson, ScotRail’s service delivery director, said: “Regrettably, this strike action by RMT members of Network Rail means that we will not be able to operate the vast majority of our services during the period of strike action.
“Customers should expect significant disruption to services on strike days, as well as the following day.
“We are able to operate on more routes than on the previous day of strike action, however, we are still only able to run a very limited number of services on these routes, so we’re advising customers to seek alternative means of transport and to only travel if they really need to.”
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