ScotRail has announced it will be reducing services on the days rail staff are not striking this week.
Train travellers – already using a temporary service due to a dispute with drivers – are set to see even more disruption as ScotRail reduces even its temporary timetable.
Due to the need to manually re-open signal boxes, trains – especially those in the north and north east – rail services will be significantly disrupted on Wednesday and Friday.
Therefore, ScotRail has issued another change to its published timetable.
The temporary timetable was brought in to give passengers assurances about what services would run. In the latest move, the timetable will see train services, to and from Aberdeen and Inverness, slashed again.
What is ScotRail saying?
Network Rail members of the RMT are striking on today, Wednesday and Saturday.
A ScotRail spokeswoman said: “The planned strikes on these three days will cause disruption to ScotRail services, as Network Rail Scotland signallers and maintenance staff, who are in safety-critical roles, will be on strike.
“On the days following strike action there will be disruption caused by the reopening of signal boxes at different times across the country.
“While the large signalling centres at Yoker, West of Scotland and Edinburgh will be able to operate from 7.15am this will not be the case at manual boxes elsewhere and it may well be early afternoon before many routes are able to operate as normal.
“This is particularly the case for routes outwith the central belt.”
What is the timetable?
The following services will operate Wednesday, June 22 and Friday, June 24:
Aberdeen
Aberdeen to Dundee: 9.44am, 9.06pm
Aberdeen to Edinburgh: 11.01am, 1.13pm, 2.42pm. 5.17pm and 7.15pm.
Aberdeen to Glasgow: 11.45am, 1.50pm, 3.35pm, 5.41pm and 6.40pm.
Aberdeen to Inverurie: 7.32am, 8.58am, 4.57pm, 5.57pm, 7.57pm, 8.58pm, 10.49pm.
Aberdeen to Inverness: 8.23am, 10.10am, 11.56am, 1.41pm, 3.25pm and 6.18pm.
Aberdeen to Montrose: 7.18am, 9.21am, 11.25am, 5.48pm
Dundee to Aberdeen: 11.18am
Edinburgh to Aberdeen: 11.30am, 1.30pm, 3.30pm, 5.30pm
Glasgow to Aberdeen: 11.41am, 1.40pm, 3.39pm, 5.41pm and 6.41pm
Montrose to Aberdeen: 3.59pm, 6.39pm, 7.36pm and 8.50pm
Inverness
Inverness to Aberdeen: 8.55am, 10.57am, 12.39pm, 2.30pm, 5.13pm, 6.05pm
Inverness to Ardgay: 5.12pm
Inverness to Edinburgh: 10.51am, 12.48pm, 6.53pm
Inverness to Elgin: 6.59pm
Inverness to Glasgow: 2.49pm, 3.45pm, 5.26pm
Inverness to Kyle of Lochalsh: 10.56am, 5.54pm
Inverness to Wick: 2pm
Ardgay to Inverness: 7.29pm
Edinburgh to Inverness: 10.32am, 1.30pm, 5.33pm
Glasgow to Inverness: 12.07pm, 2.39pm, 3.07pm, 7.07pm
Kyle of Lochalsh to Inverness: 1.46pm
Wick to Inverness: 12.34pm
Inverurie
Inverurie to Aberdeen: 815am, 10.31am, 5.46pm, 6.20pm, 6.45pm, 8.51pm, 9.29pm.
Inverurie to Montrose: 8am, 9.56am, 12pm, 12.58pm, 1.56pm, 2.51pm, 3.46pm, 5.02pm, 7.29pm
Montrose to Inverurie: 8.59am, 9.54am, 10.53am, 12.04pm, 12.44pm, 1.48pm, 2.50pm, 4.51pm, 6.12pm.
Oban
Oban to Glasgow: 8.57am, 12.11pm, 6.11pm.
Oban to Dalmally: 4.11pm.
Dalmally to Oban: 5.05pm
Glasgow to Oban/FortWilliam and Mallaig: 8.21am and 12.22pm.
Glasgow to Oban: 6.23pm.
Fort William
Fort William to Glasgow: 7.44am, 11.40am
Mallaig to Fort William: 6.15pm
Disruption looks set to continue
Commenting on today’s first rail strike since 1989, RMT general secretary Mick Lynch said:
“Today’s turnout at picket lines has been fantastic and exceeded expectations in our struggle for job security, defending conditions and a decent pay rise.
“Our members will continue the campaign and have shown outstanding unity in pursuit of a settlement to this dispute.
“RMT members are leading the way for all workers in this country who are sick and tired of having their pay and conditions slashed by a mixture of big business profits and government policy
“Now is the time to stand up and fight for every single railway worker in this dispute that we will win.”
A department for transport spokesman said: “These are desperately needed reforms that modernise the railway and put it on a sustainable footing for passengers and taxpayers.
“Unions have shut down big parts of the rail network, hitting local businesses and unfairly cutting people off from hospitals, schools and work.
“However, early data shows that unlike in the past many people now have the opportunity to work from home, so we haven’t even a rush to the roads, as traffic has instead gone online, which means the unions aren’t having the overall impact they might have hoped.”
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