ScotRail warns customers of ‘significant travel disruption’ on Highland line

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ScotRail is warning customers to expect significant travel disruption on Sunday because of strike action by the RMT during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Conductors will be taking part in the industrial action for six consecutive Sundays, in a bid to force an increase in overtime payments at a time when ScotRail is facing its worst ever financial crisis.

It means that services will be cancelled on a number of key routes and will have a significant impact on people who need to travel, including NHS workers delivering a critical service during the pandemic.

The strike comes with passenger numbers and revenue down more than 90 per cent compared to before the pandemic. Coronavirus restrictions, including the instruction for people to work from home, have resulted in the number of people travelling with ScotRail to plummet.

Throughout the pandemic, ScotRail has continued to provide services for key workers who are reliant on trains to get them to work in order to perform life-saving duties on the emergency front-line, hospitals, and care homes.

The RMT balloted its conductor members despite all ScotRail jobs being protected thanks to emergency Scottish Government support, with no staff placed on furlough or any cuts to basic wages or terms and conditions.

An emergency measures agreement (EMA) is being worked on with the Scottish Government, which will continue until at least September 2021, and will mean ScotRail can continue to operate services for key workers and keep its 5,200 staff in secure jobs. Between March and September 2020, the Scottish Government invested an additional £215million in subsidy to allow ScotRail to operate a service for key workers and pay staff wages.

However, due to the industrial action being taken by RMT conductor members, the train operator says it will not be able to provide the same level of services to essential workers over the next six Sundays.

Services will be cancelled on the following routes:

· Aberdeen – Glasgow/Edinburgh

· Aberdeen – Inverurie/Inverness

· Aberdeen – Perth/Dundee

· Edinburgh – Inverness/Aberdeen

· Edinburgh – Inverkeithing/Glenrothes/Kirkcaldy/Perth/Dundee

· Edinburgh – Stirling/Dunblane

· Edinburgh – Tweedbank

· Edinburgh – North Berwick

· Edinburgh – Glasgow Central via Shotts

· Glasgow – Edinburgh via Falkirk High

· Glasgow – Anniesland

· Glasgow – Stirling/Alloa/Dunblane/Perth/Dundee

· Glasgow – Inverness/Aberdeen

· Glasgow – Cumbernauld

· Glasgow – Alloa

· Glasgow – Barrhead/Kilmarnock/Dumfries/Carlisle

· Glasgow – Stranraer

· Glasgow – Crainlarich/Oban/Fort William/Mallaig

· Inverness – Aberdeen/Edinburgh/Glasgow

· Inverness – Kyle of Lochalsh/Wick

For key workers, there will be limited bus services for University Hospital Hairmyres, Queen Margaret Hospital, Dunfermline, and Victoria Hospital, Kirkcaldy.

Customers are being advised to check their journeys to make sure trains are still running on their route. Anyone who has already purchased a ticket can travel either the day before, or day after the strike action, alternatively, a refund is available.

Graham Ralston, ScotRail head of conductors, said: “The strike action will have no impact on ScotRail’s position on overtime pay increases, given the severe financial challenges we face.

“The strike is wrong during a global pandemic and will have a significant impact on those who need to make essential journeys.

“We will do everything we can to minimise the consequences of this action, but key workers will be adversely affected. Inevitably, many will have to find alternative and much less convenient ways to get to work to perform their life-saving duties.”

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