ScotRail customers have been warned to prepare for more rail chaos in the coming days.
The train operator has urged passengers to expect 'significant disruption' to services across the network from tomorrow. It comes as Network Rail staff have planned to walk out on Thursday, August 18 and Saturday, August 20, as part of ongoing strikes organised by the RMT union.
The industrial action has forced rail chiefs to slash multiple routes across the country - meaning only a limited number of trains will run during the strikes. Among workers to down their tools include vital maintenance and signalling staff.
Although ScotRail staff are not involved in the walkout, the knock-on effect will cause most regular trains to be cancelled.
There will be two trains per hour between Edinburgh and Glasgow Queen Street, Edinburgh and Helensburgh Central, Glasgow Central and Hamilton, Glasgow Central and Lanark, Edinburgh and Inverkeithing, Edinburgh and Tweedbank and Milngavie and Springburn.
There will be one train per hour on the impacted days between Edinburgh and Glasgow Central, Edinburgh and North Berwick, Glasgow Queen Street and Larbert, and Glasgow Queen Street and Falkirk Grahamston.
The services will run between 7.30am and the final train will leave “well before” 6.30pm, the operator said. ScotRail has urged any customers to pre-book journeys in advance.
David Simpson, the operator’s 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.”
Disruption is also likely to be felt the day after the strikes, with signal boxes in the central belt able to be turned on at around 7.15am with lasting effects to potentially run into the afternoon.
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