Scotrail reveals plans to shake up train services after lockdown
Unions say service cuts will increase road traffic
Last updated 20th Aug 2021
Scotrail is releasing details of its post-pandemic timetable to save money and improve punctuality, which will see some services reduced and others taking longer, calling at more stations.
The operator is beginning a six week consultation on the plans for the timetable to begin in May 2022.
Rail unions have condemned proposals saying it will mean around 300 fewer services on weekdays compared to pre-pandemic.
In a jointed statement Aslef, the RMT, the TSSA and Unite said: “It is incredible that in the year that the world comes to Scotland to debate the very future of our planet that ScotRail is proposing cuts to rail services in a transparent attempt to use the pandemic as cover for cuts.
“These plans would hit the most vulnerable hardest while diverting many passengers back onto the roads.”
“It is exactly this type of short-term thinking that has contributed to the climate crisis.
Big losses and empty seats
Passenger journeys have risen to around 50% of their pre-COVID levels but during 2019-20 Scotrail recorded a shortfall of £243.5million between costs and revenue.
Scotrail says analysis shows much of the potential capacity was going to waste and believes, in future, customers will be using the railway at different times and for different purposes.
Prior to the pandemic, under five and a half million passenger journey miles were completed on a typical weekday, which meant seats were empty for 77% of the distance that was travelled.
Fewer trains to make services more reliable
Despite being the only route which makes a profit, services on the Glasgow to Edinburgh route via Falkirk High will be stay reduced to half-hourly during off-peak hours.
For InterCity7 long distance services from Glasgow and Edinburgh they propose cutting out some of the stops at smaller stations, saying this will encourage long-distance rail travel.
On other routes there may be longer journey times, as it is more efficient to operate one long train calling at all stations rather than two trains stopping alternately, such as currently happens between Kirkcaldy and Edinburgh.
On the Borders Rail line to Tweedbank off-peak services will be cut from every 30 minutes to hourly.
Services between Dumfries and Glasgow are being reduced, but will run at more consistent intervals, and through services to Newcastle are being ended.
A more tailored service
Operations Director David Simpson the Operations Director told Forth 1 News: “What we are doing through this consultation process is proposing a timetable that provides a service that is much more accurately tailored to when people want to travel and where they want to go.”
“One of the things we have seen, though, with operating slightly fewer services in recent months is that reliability and punctuality has been far stronger and that is one element of what we want to deliver in this new timetable.”
“If demand starts to grow again towards pre-pandemic levels then of course we will review the timetable.
“It also makes better use of our trains and people on track to drive better punctuality and to basically match the timetable much more accurately to when people want to travel.”
“I would encourage anyone with an interest to share their views”
Alex Hynes, Scotland’s Railway Managing Director, said: “Scotland’s Railway is committed to delivering a service that is safe, reliable, green, and clean.
“The pandemic has changed how people travel across all of Scotland so our services will reflect these varied travel patterns and deliver timetables that are reliable, have enough capacity to meet pre-COVID levels of demand, and are sustainable.
“We are consulting on the timetable changes being proposed and we would welcome the views of our customers.”