ScotRail have issued a warning to Glasgow Queen Street and Central customers ahead of strike action in August.
Due to strike action by RMT members of Network Rail, the train provider is warning customers to expect significant disruption. While ScotRail staff are not taking part in the strike, signalling staff from Network Rail will be and will bring the majority of trains to halt.
Network Rail strike action will take place on Thursday, August 18 and Saturday, 20 August. Only 11 services will run across Scotland and customers are being urged to only travel by train if absolutely essential.
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This comes after the RMT union announced strike action across the Great Britain railway network resulting from a pay dispute with Network Rail.
Many of the Network Rail staff that are due to take part in the planned industrial action occupy safety-critical roles and has therefore had a knock-on-effect to ScotRail services.
ScotRail have now confirmed a revised timetable with just 11 routes across the Central Belt, Fife and Borders on the days of strike action and 378 services will operate on August 18 and 20 compared to 189 on 27 July. Last time RMT members took strike action, only five routes ran across the the Central Belt.
However, the railway will only be operational between 7.30am and 6.30pm on August 18 and 20.
Services on the following routes will run on these days:
- Edinburgh Waverley – Glasgow Queen Street via Falkirk High: two trains per hour
- Edinburgh Waverley – Helensburgh Central: two trains per hour
- Glasgow Central – Hamilton/Larkhall: two trains per hour
- Glasgow Central – Lanark: two trains per hour
- Edinburgh Waverley – Glasgow Central via Shotts: one train per hour
- Edinburgh Waverley – Inverkeithing: two trains per hour
- Edinburgh Waverley – Tweedbank: two trains per hour
- Edinburgh Waverley – North Berwick: one train per hour
- Glasgow Queen Street – Larbert: one train per hour
- Glasgow Queen Street – Falkirk Grahamston: one train per hour
- Milngavie – Springburn: two trains per hour
Final services will depart well before 6.30pm, so customers should plan ahead to ensure they know when their last train will run.
ScotRail have also warned that days surrounding the strikes will also be impacted and is urging customers to expect disruption and cancellations on August Friday, 19 and Sunday, 21 while signal boxes reopen.
David Simpson, ScotRail Service Delivery Director, said: “It is very unfortunate to see such widespread disruption across the whole of the Great Britain rail network and we know this will be frustrating for ScotRail customers.
“Regrettably, this strike action by RMT members of Network Rail means that we will not be able to operate the vast majority of our services during the period of strike action. Customers should expect significant disruption to services on strike days, as well as the following day.
“We are able to operate on more routes than on the previous day of strike action, however, we are still only able to run a very limited number of services on these routes, so we’re advising customers to seek alternative means of transport and to only travel if they really need to.”
For more information on this, please visit the National Rail website at National Rail Enquiries - Industrial Action.
Customers are also advised to check scotrail.co.uk/strike for more information and to check the ScotRail app or visit scotrail.co.uk for the latest information before travelling.
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