Going off the rails

TENS of thousands of Scots will struggle to work today because of a strike by rail workers which has worrying echoes of the 70s when powerful unions caused industrial strife throughout Britain.

Scotrail staff throughout the country have walked out in protest. And the source of the dispute? A row over who opens and closes the train doors.

What makes their action even more petty is the fact that Scotrail already operates driver-only operation trains on many routes, and have done so in Britain for more than 30 years. The RMT union is already planning further disruption, hitting both commuters and the thousands of tourists who are due to visit during the summer.

Is it any wonder weary passengers – already suffering lengthy daily delays on the main Glasgow to Edinburgh route because of upgrading work – are rapidly losing confidence in Scotland’s train service?