Strike cripples rail services across Scotland - here's what trains ARE running today

RMT members are staging the first of three one-day strikes

Author: Rob WallerPublished 21st Jun 2022
Last updated 21st Jun 2022

Rail services are being brought to a stand across most of Scotland in the biggest rail strike in more than three decades as staff working for Network Rail stage the first of three one-day walk-outs.

The RMT union is taking industrial action over a pay dispute with the company which operates the infrastructure and some Department of Transport rail operating companies in England.

Although the strike does not involve workers employed by Scotrail the company is unable to operate the vast majority of services because Network Rail signalling staff will not be on duty.

Another two strikes are planned this week on Thursday and Saturday.

What Scotrail trains are running?

Scotrail will run two trains per hour on the Edinburgh to Glasgow via Falkirk High line, the Edinburgh-Bathgate line, the Glasgow to Hamilton/Larkhall line and the Glasgow to Lanark line.

One train an hour will run on the Edinburgh to Glasgow via Shotts service.

Services on the five lines will only operate between 7.30am and 6.30pm on the dates affected.

Passengers were warned last week by ScotRail to only travel on the limited services "if they really need to"

Avanti West Coast

Avanti West Coast will operate limited service of around a quarter of the normal timetable will operate on the route from Glasgow to London Euston, and only between 8am and 6pm.

A number of routes will not be served, such as to North Wales, Stoke and Edinburgh.

The operator has suspended ticket sales for travel between Tuesday and Sunday to "help reduce disruption and overcrowding".

London North Eastern Railway

Around 38% of usual service levels are planned by LNER which operates services from Aberdeen, Dundee, and Inverness, to London Kings Cross

Trains that do run "are likely to be very busy".

Caledonian Sleeper

All departures are cancelled between Monday and Friday

Economic damage warning

Experts in the retail sector have issued warnings over the potential negative impact the limited services will have on Scotland's shopper footfall figures, which were down by 16% on pre-pandemic levels in May.

David Lonsdale, director of the Scottish Retail Consortium, said: "Retailers in Scotland's city centres were clobbered by the exodus of commuters during the pandemic.

"Even now, several months on from the end of restrictions and store visits are still shy of pre-Covid levels, with Scotland rooted to the bottom of the UK league table for shopper footfall last month.

"Many stores are only just beginning to emerge from the long and destabilising impact of the pandemic, and further train disruption could deter shoppers and derail retail's recovery."

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