SCOTRAIL services could be cut by up to a third as the firm struggles with a shortage of drivers, according to reports.
Over the weekend, the rail services was hit with hundreds of cancellations amid an ongoing pay dispute.
Aslef, the union, is currently balloting its members over strike action after a 2.2% pay offer was rejected. The RMT union is expected to follow suit this week.
In the meantime, drivers involved in the dispute are refusing to work rest days.
According to RMT’s Scottish organiser Mick Hogg, recently nationalised ScotRail has informed the union that it is looking to reduce services while the driver shortage is ongoing.
"They've advised us that there will be change in the timetables in order to actually accommodate drivers not being available to work, but I think that’s all a guise,” he told The Scotsman.
"It comes as no surprise. I don’t know if it’s down to the fact drivers aren’t working any rest days, or if it’s just a general theme of cutting train services.”
One source within the train industry told the Scotsman: "To provide a reliable service without the need for rest day working, the cut would be about 30 to 35%.”
Kevin Lindsay, Aslef’s Scottish organiser, suggested this would be the biggest rail service cut since the Beeching cuts of the 1960s.
“Aslef will not stand aside and watch our railways being dismantled as a consequence of appalling mismanagement and a failure to recruit drivers,” he said.
On Monday, a new timetable came in, there were still dozens of cancellations on the “understaffed” railways.
ScotRail service delivery director David Simpson said: “We are experiencing a driver shortage, which means some services will be cancelled. We are very sorry for the disruption and inconvenience this will cause and understand customer frustration when this happens.
“Unfortunately, since the drivers’ union Aslef announced it would ballot for strike action, a significant number of drivers, but not all, have declined to make themselves available for overtime or rest day working.
"While rest day working is entirely voluntary, this does mean we don’t have the number of drivers available to operate the full timetable.
“We are currently reliant on drivers working overtime or on their rest days because of delays to training new drivers caused by the pandemic. This is something experienced by all operators across Britain.
“ScotRail has made a good offer that could potentially deliver an overall pay package worth a 7 per cent increase for staff.”
