Commuter chaos likely as fresh rail strike begins
● Dozens of Scotrail commuter services cancelled or reduced
Commuters were this morning set to face widespread disruption as fresh strike action brought train services to a halt across Scotland.
A total of 15 Scotrail services will be cancelled across the country, including key commuter routes between Edinburgh and Dunbar and North Berwick.
Replacement bus services were due to be put on for seven of the cancelled routes, while a further ten routes were to see services reduced.
The RMT union has taken the action in protest at the increased use of trains without guards.
Commuters across Scotland face more disruption as the latest strike action by members of the RMT union looks set to bring rail services to a standstill across swaths of the country today.
Some 15 Scotrail services will be cancelled, just seven of which will have replacement bus services put in place to allow passengers to make their journey.
A further ten services will operate on a reduced service, as the standoff between the union and the rail operator continues.
The cancelled services without replacement buses include: Edinburgh to North Berwick and Dunbar; Edinburgh to Aberdeen, Dyce and Inverurie; Glasgow Central to Inverness; and Stranraer and Girvan to Glasgow Central via Ayr and Kilmarnock. The disruption will also affect several main arteries of Scotrail’s network, in particular the Edinburgh Waverley to Glasgow Queen Street route.
The last train leaving Edinburgh will depart at 7:30pm, while the final service going in the opposite direction leaves even earlier, at 7.02pm, according to Scotrail.
In a statement on its website, Scotrail said: “We have a responsibility to keep you moving during this RMT rail strike and we take that very seriously. We’re running around 70 per cent of services on strike days.”
The company urged people to check its website for updates and, if possible, book their tickets in advance.
With no end in sight to the dispute, the next scheduled day of strike action on Thursday threatens to thwart the plans of golf fans looking to get to Troon for the beginning of The Open.
The strike on the first day of the competition will be followed by additional industrial action planned for this Saturday and Sunday, when the tournament reaches its climax.
Although Scotrail has said that trains between Glasgow and troon will run on an increased frequency with more carriages on Championship days, the ongoing disruption will make it difficult for people to get to Glasgow Central in order for their connecting service to Ayrshire.
The union has taken the action in protest at the increased use of trains without guards, with the driver opening and closing the doors at stations instead.
RMT officials say trains are less safe for passengers without dedicated guards on board, but Scotrail has stressed that it would always ensure that a second member of staff was on hand.