THOUSANDS HIT BY RAIL STRIKE CHAOS
Union condemned as commuters face travel misery
TENS of thousands of Scots passengers face rail misery today as conductors strike over who opens train doors. Many will be forced to use their cars and suffer further disruptions from roadworks on key routes such as the M8 and A9.
Yesterday, politicians, ScotRail bosses and business leaders united in condemning the RMT union for the ‘needless’ and ‘irresponsible’ action.
Around 250,000 passengers travel on ScotRail trains every day. Even with managers filling in for guards, about 70,000 will have to find another means of transport.
Those who brave the railways will face delays, cramped conditions and longer routes. Transport Minister Humza Yousaf urged those affected to consider working from home, car-pooling, and avoiding travelling at peak times to try to minimise disruption.
The key route between Edinburgh Waverley and Glasgow Queen Street – already disrupted because of upgrade work – will be cut from six journeys each way every hour, to just one. Passengers still have the option of taking the longer route via Bathgate.
But the RMT was unrepentant yesterday,
accusing ScotRail of ‘sabotaging’ talks. It is planning four further one-day strikes in less than four weeks, with the next on Thursday.
The union claims the introduction of driver-operated trains – where conductors are no longer responsible for opening and closing the doors – will put passengers at risk, even though 59 per cent of journeys in Scotland already operate this way with the approval of safety regulator the Office of Rail and Road.
The union also claims the changes are an attack on conductors’ pay, terms and conditions, and will ultimately lead to job losses.
However, ScotRail has guaranteed there will be no change or threat to jobs for the lifetime of the ten-year franchise, which was awarded to Dutch national operator Abellio in October 2014.
Phil Verster, ScotRail managing director, said: ‘Tens of thousands of our customers will be disrupted and hundreds of our own people will be hit financially as a result of their intransigence. The public will be astonished to hear that this is a strike only about who opens and closes doors on trains, nothing more! The RMT are being, at best, disingenuous when they tell people that we are trying to have driveronly trains. We are not. We will still schedule a second person on-board when we bring in the amazing new faster, longer, greener electric trains from next year.’
However, RMT general secretary Mick Cash warned of ‘a lethal gamble with basic rail safety’.
Alex Johnstone MSP, Scots Tory transport spokesman, said: ‘With the summer holidays nearly upon us and the Glasgow Queen Street station upgrade under way this is an extremely irresponsible time of the year to take strike action.
‘Thousands of commuters rely on a decent rail service to get to and from work, not to mention the many tourists who use trains to get around Scotland.
‘The RMT’s willingness to strike only undermines any sympathy commuters may have had for their case.’
And Garry Clark, of the Scottish Chamber of Commerce, said: ‘Scotland’s railway is an industry that remains heavily dominated by the trade unions and they have a consequential burden of responsibility both to their members and to the public to engage positively alongside management to secure a quick and reasonable resolution to this dispute before further damage is done to our economy.’
ScotRail insists that the changes will mean trains spending less time waiting at platforms, making journeys quicker and more efficient.
Walk-outs are expected on Thursday and Saturday, with more scheduled for July 3, 10 and 17.