Week of travel chaos as new rail strikes hit

SCOTS face severe travel disruption this week in the first wave of New Year strikes.

Most rail services will be axed as union members walk out across the UK.

The action, which begins today, means ScotRail will run trains on only 12 routes – between 7.30am and 6.30pm – in the Central Belt, Fife and the Borders until Saturday.

More than 40,000 workers in Network Rail and 14 train operating firms are taking part in the protest over pay, job security and conditions.

The strikes will take place on four days, also including tomorrow and resuming on Friday and Saturday. Though Thursday is not a strike day, a reduced ScotRail timetable will be in place.

The disruption comes as the holidays end and workers begin commuting back to the office in the new year.

Other public sectors face disruption in further strikes. Teachers are due to walk out a week from today, affecting primary schools, special schools and early-years centres. A strike will hit secondary schools the following day.

Nurses are also expected to hold their first major strike, though dates have not been announced. In a warning to commuters, Network Rail Scotland tweeted: ‘The latest round of RMT strikes will severely limit rail services between January 3 and 8 and we’re urging passengers to check your journey before travelling.’ While ScotRail staff are not directly involved, Network Rail workers occupy ‘safety-critical roles’ vital for the operator to run the vast majority of its services.

ScotRail service delivery director David Simpson said: ‘It’s really disappointing to see more widespread disruption across the whole Great Britain rail network as a result of the dispute between Network Rail and the RMT at a time when we need to be encouraging more people back to the railway.

‘For ScotRail, it will mean we won’t be able to operate the vast majority of our services between January 3 and 7, which we know will be really frustrating for customers.’

RMT leader Mick Lynch said: ‘We don’t want disruption. We want a settlement.

‘There’s been too much disruption on the railway caused by government policy.’

‘We won’t be able to operate’