ScotRail announces temporary timetable amid union dispute

ScotRail is introducing a temporary timetable from 11 July to provide greater certainty and reliability for passengers amidst ongoing pay talks with railway unions. This comes after the train drivers’ union ASLEF recommended a ballot for industrial action over a rejected pay offer.

ScotRail is currently recruiting new drivers, but the operator still has some reliance on overtime and rest day working to deliver a normal timetable. It now fears that its normal service will be affected by last-minute cancellations so has made the move to a temporary timetable to avoid disruption.

This temporary timetable will offer around 1,660 services daily from Monday to Saturday, providing over 515,000 seats. Scotrail has said that some routes will not be affected in first or last train times, there will be adjustments to peak hour services.

Mark Ilderton, ScotRail Service Delivery Director, apologised for the disruption and emphasised the focus on reliability.

“We are very sorry to customers for the disruption to services. We know that customers want certainty and reliability, which is why we are introducing a temporary timetable, in place of late-notice cancellations.

“We are operating services which the vast majority of customers use and are still using all the available trains in our fleet so customers can continue to travel.

However, Scotrail was strongly criticised by the trade union ASLEF, with its Scottish Organiser, Kevin Lindsay, calling the timetable cuts “economic vandalism.”

He added, “ScotRail and the Scottish Government must get serious about pay and urgently get back round the negotiating table with a serious and credible offer.

“The Scottish Government is currently taking a fantasy land approach to industrial relations on our railways. We met the First Minister, John Swinney on the 28 May and told him then that the offer being made to our members was completely unacceptable and sadly, ScotRail have parroted this same offer ever since.”

Scotrail has urged passengers to check the timetable before travelling, which can be found here:
ScotRail temporary timetable.

Ilderton added that Scotrail was still firmly committed to talks: “We want to resolve the pay dispute with the trade unions and remain fully committed to further discussions.”