Extra ScotRail services to run amid strike disruption

ScotRail has announced extra rail services will operate after timetables were disrupted by strike action.

Initially the rail operator said it would also be unable to provide a full service on Thursday but it has now confirmed journeys on 11 more routes.

The UK-wide industrial action by RMT union members took place on Tuesday and Wednesday and will continue on Friday and Saturday.

ScotRail said passengers should check journeys before they travel.

Aslef, the train drivers’ union, will strike on Thursday, which impacts cross-border rail journeys.

LNER, which runs trains between Edinburgh and London, said there would be an “extremely limited” service.

Avanti West Coast would also have been affected, however flood damage has closed the main rail line between Glasgow and Carlisle until Friday.

In the meantime the operator has advised people not to travel to and from Scotland on the West Coast Main Line.

About 40,000 Network Rail workers are expected to take part in the nationwide strikes over a pay dispute.

Network Rail owns, repairs and develops the railway infrastructure – tracks, bridges, tunnels and signals – and its staff have essential safety roles.

ScotRail said the action meant it would not be able to run the vast majority of its services.

On strike days the train operator will run services on 12 routes across the central belt, Fife and the Borders between 07:30 and 18:30.

They are:

However ScotRail will now operate some services on the following routes on Thursday:

ScotRail said the times of last trains on these routes would vary but would generally run until the normal end of service.

It advised passengers to check their entire journey on the its website, app or social media channels before they travel.

David Simpson, ScotRail’s service delivery director, said: ”We have worked really hard to add more services to the timetable for Thursday.

“We’re pleased that customers will have more travel options throughout the day.

“However, we are still advising customers to check their journeys before they travel and we’re reminding them that we will have to revert to our strike timetable on Friday and Saturday, which we know will be really frustrating for them.”

Heavy rain is expected to continue on Thursday, particularly along the west coast of Scotland, with wind gusts between 50-70mph.

Network Rail said it would have chainsaw teams and response staff on standby on Thursday, however it added there are no plans to impose speed restrictions.

Engineering work is continuing on the West Coast Mainline near Carstairs, where an embankment under the railway was damaged during heavy rain on Friday.

Network Rail said its engineers were working round the clock to remove landslip material along a 40m section of the line.

They also need to reinforce the area with more than 200 tonnes of new stone, relay the track above and check signalling in the area.

Avanti West Coast said it was working towards some services returning on Friday, between Carlisle and Scotland, if engineering work was complete, though journeys would be “significantly reduced”.

A spokeswoman said it would not run any services south of Carlisle on Thursday due to Aslef strikes.