Scotrail services cut back from today with emergency Covid timetable

ScotRail is making temporary changes to its timetable from today with bosses telling passengers it's a necessary step to provide a more reliable service with hundreds of staff off work because of  coronavirus.

The company says more than 400 workers are absent because of the rapid spread of the Omicron variant of Covid-19, with some having tested positive, others awaiting PCR test results, and many who are self-isolating as a result of being in close contact with someone who has tested positive.

These staff absences have had an impact on services, mainly across the central belt of Scotland, and have resulted in a number of services cancelled or amended in recent weeks.

In order to provide customers with a level of certainty about which services are running in the coming weeks, ScotRail will make temporary changes to its timetable.

Timetable changes are mainly focused across the central belt - with changes spread out across the day where possible to minimise the impact on customers’ journeys - and will operate until the end of the month.

Routes affected by the timetable revision include:

• Glasgow Central – Neilston / Newton

• Glasgow Central - East Kilbride

• Glasgow Central - Lanark

• Glasgow Central – Ayrshire / Inverclyde / Stranraer

• Glasgow Central – Edinburgh Waverley via Shotts

• Glasgow Queen Street – Edinburgh Waverley via Airdrie & Bathgate

• Glasgow Queen Street – Edinburgh Waverley via Cumbernauld & Falkirk Grahamston

• Glasgow Queen Street / Edinburgh Waverley – Stirling / Dunblane / Alloa

• Glasgow Queen Street – Anniesland via Maryhill

• Edinburgh Waverley – Dunbar / North Berwick

• Edinburgh Waverley – Fife

• Edinburgh Waverley – Newcraighall / Tweedbank

David Simpson, Scotrail Operations Director, said: "Like most businesses, ScotRail is not immune to the impact of coronavirus. We’ve been working flat out to run a safe and reliable railway in really difficult and rapidly changing circumstances.

"As we continue to battle against the impact of coronavirus, we want to provide customers with a level of certainty, which is why we are introducing some temporary changes to our timetable from Tuesday, 4 January until Friday, 28 January 2022.

"We’ve looked to spread these changes out across the day where possible to minimise the impact on our customers, but people should plan ahead and continue to check the train times right up until they arrive at the station.

"We urge anyone travelling with us to stay safe and continue to follow government guidance. This includes maintaining good hand hygiene and wearing a face covering for your entire journey."

The train operator is also urging anyone travelling on Scotland’s Railway to stay safe by continuing to follow Scottish Government guidelines.

This includes maintaining good hand hygiene and the mandatory wearing of a face covering for the entirety of their journey, which includes on trains and in stations – both enclosed and open-air platforms. Customers are also asked to take a lateral flow test before travelling.

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