Rail chaos as late services are axed in dispute

LATE-NIGHT trains from Edinburgh to Dundee and Perth will not run on Saturday nights — quashing hopes ScotRail would reverse some of its controversial cuts to services on the weekend.

The company’s new, temporary timetable outraged passengers this week with cuts to commuter services and the end to late-night links between Scotland’s major cities.

Managers have now updated the temporary timetable, adding Saturday’s services. They have not yet published the Sunday services.

The Monday to Friday timetable saw managers slash roughly a third of services. The Saturday timetable retains many of the same cuts.

Many hoped the Saturday timetable would protect later trains, allowing passengers to return from evening events and nights out in Edinburgh.

But the last train between Edinburgh and Dundee on Saturday leaves the capital at 8.03pm — only three minutes later than its weekday equivalent.

The last train from Edinburgh to Perth on Saturday pulls out of Waverley Station at only 7.42pm — the same as during the week.

That will rule out gigs, theatre trips and nights out in the capital for scores of people across Tayside and Fife.

But there is slightly better news for those worried about the effect on the night-time economy in Dundee. The last train from Dundee to Edinburgh departs at 8.45pm. While the corresponding Perth service leaves at 9.11.

That is later than during the week when the last service between Dundee and Edinburgh leaves at 6.47pm, while the last service from Perth is at 6.04pm.

ScotRail bosses published a press release on the temporary timetable, but chose to upload the Saturday timetable to its website without comment.

David Simpson, ScotRail service delivery director, previously said: “We will review the service levels and make any improvements we can as quickly as possible.”