Scots face transport chaos this festive season unless the UK Government can finally resolve an industrial dispute between Network Rail and unions, an SNP minister has warned.
Jenny Gilruth told the Record services would be "hammered" across the country if railway staff walk-out as planned in December and January in a row over pay and job cuts.
The Scottish transport minister said it was "deeply frustrating" that she was effectively shut-out from talks between Westminster and rail unions despite the strikes having a direct impact across the UK. Network Rail, which maintains railway infrastructure and mainline stations, is owned and controlled by the UK Government.
It means the majority of ScotRail services will be suspended by planned UK-wide strike action by the RMT union on December 13, 14, 16 and 17 as well as January 3, 4, 6 and 7.
Gilruth said: "There has been no meaningful dialogue on this at all. There is a feeling the UK Government has been posted missing on transport issues at the moment.
"Given the rail structure is reserved, there is nothing the Scottish Government can do to resolve this dispute. And yet it is going to hammer our services.
"People are going to be really affected by these strikes all coming together at once in close succession at the Christmas period and into the New Year. This is a question for the UK Government.
"It needs to find the political will to get a resolution. The UK Government is not sharing information with my officials at Transport Scotland, which is deeply frustrating."
Gilruth was appointed Transport Minister in January and said she had been offered only one meeting with her counterparts in Westminster in that time.
She continued: "That isn't how you resolve disputes - particularly given the constitutional element. As Network Rail is reserved, there should be a collaborative approach. And it is worth saying that we do fund Network Rail in Scotland."
She added: "After the Supreme Court judgement last week, if I was a UK Government minister right now, I'd be making sure that I sought to engage with my Scottish counterparts."
Gilruth is due to meet both RMT boss Mick Lynch and UK rail minister Huw Merriman on a visit to London today.
Mark Harper, the UK transport secretary, this week claimed only a reform package would enable savings to be made across the railways in order to "free up resources to make the pay offer". His comment comes as Network Rail, train operators and unions remain locked in a pay dispute.
In a letter to Lynch, Harper said: "We both agree the industrial dispute on the railways has gone on too long. It’s bad for your members, losing out on pay and overtime, bad for businesses who depend on trains to bring them goods and customers and bad for people across our country who depend on the railways.
"Worse, disruption pushes more and more people away from using the railways, some of whom will never come back."
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