Dramatic cuts to travel services

Rail, bus, air and ferry timetables to be severely reduced, warns minister

Rail, bus, air and ferry timetables will be dramatically reduced over the coming weeks, Transport Secretary Michael Matheson has warned.

ScotRail is making “urgent” plans to cut services, bus services face disruption and ferries and flights to islands will be scaled down.

With the public advised to avoid non-essential travel, Mr Matheson said transport operators would experience “cash flow issues” that would affect their viability and warned that airlines would fail.

Appearing before MSPs at Holyrood’s Rural Economy Committee, Mr Matheson indicated smaller interisland ferry routes could be threatened as a result of crew shortages as the virus takes hold.

He said the priority was to keep lifeline ferry and air routes to islands open, although journey frequency will fall.

Loganair, which services many islands, has already announced that it will reduce more than half of its flying programme for April and May.

Mr Matheson said the airline had suffered a “very significant drop” in bookings, but the plan was to make sure air links are maintained – even if the frequency of flights falls.

The aviation sector more broadly was under “extreme pressure” with demand falling by 70% to 80%.

Ryanair has announced it may suspend all flights except those providing “essential connectivity”, due to the coronavirus.

More than four out of five flights will be cancelled between today and next Tuesday.

“During this difficult period it is likely that some airlines around the world will fail, which will have a direct impact on our air connectivity in the future,” Mr Matheson said.

ScotRail had advised the Transport Secretary that there had been a 30% reduction in demand since Monday alone.

“Consequently a reduced level of service from ScotRail is being planned urgently and details on this will be provided in the very near future,” Mr Matheson said.

Here are some of the main points made by Mr Matheson as he updated MSPs on what the coronavirus will mean for Scotland’s transport system:

RAIL: A reduced ScotRail service is being planned “urgently” with details to be provided in the “very near future”.

Network Rail is working to ensure they have enough resources in place for signalling centres and electrical control rooms and are training additional workers to staff them.

The Caledonian Sleeper service is under review by the operators, who are expecting a drop in demand and falling staff numbers.

A reduced service may be introduced, which sees the service only go as far as Glasgow and Edinburgh rather than Aberdeen, Inverness and Fort William.

AIR: Despite the likely reduction in island flight services, Mr Matheson said he aimed to ensure that “no island loses out” so that islands with an air link continue to receive flights.

FERRIES: Ferry services are being maintained but that could change in the next fortnight.

It is likely ferries will operate at a “reduced capacity”.

BUSES: Concessionary travel journeys have dropped by around 20% since the start of the month. Operators are considering timetable changes due to the falling demand.

Mr Matheson admitted there would be “disruption” as staff self-isolate, but timetabling changes will take into account the fact that buses are lifeline services for remote communities.

Using bus routes to deliver medicine to people in remote areas is also being examined.