Rail bosses blame dispute for cancellations

ScotRail blamed train drivers embroiled in a pay dispute for a spate of cancellations - with more than 400 services axed in three days.

The newly nationalised train service has been hit with growing rail chaos since Friday, with around 220 cancellations yesterday alone - including on the key Glasgow to Edinburgh route due to a shortage of drivers.

ScotRail blamed a “significant number of drivers” who had declined to make themselves available for overtime work or working on their days off due to a pay dispute.

Transport Minister Jenny Gilruth said the Scottish Government was looking to phase out the practice of rest-day working, describing it as “outdated”.

She said: “We want, ultimately, our rail unions to have a vested interest, a stake, in the vision of the new ScotRail and what that looks like, what that means for them and their members and the staff who work on our trains.

“I think that is hugely important.

“At the moment rest-day working continues to be needed.

“We are looking to phase out that practice.”

The latest spate of cancellations comes a week after ScotRail launched a half-price fare offer to try to entice people back onto trains in the wake of pandemic restrictions being lifted.

Badly-affected routes included the Glasgow to Paisley Canal service, where tickets were said to be accepted by McGill’s bus company.

Train drivers’union Aslef is preparing for a strike ballot over pay.

It says the ScotRail system has always been“understaffed”, running on a six-day week basis, meaning it is relying on drivers to work out of hours, including Sundays, as they do not work on a seven-day basis.

ScotRail apologised for the “disruption and convenience” caused to passengers, and said cancelling services was a “last resort”.

A spokesman for ScotRail: “We’re reliant on drivers working overtime or on rest days because of delays to training new drivers caused by the pandemic. This affects all operators across Britain. ScotRail has made a good offer that could potentially deliver an overall pay package worth a seven per cent increase.”