ScotRail adds extra Edinburgh services to ease RMT Network Rail strike disruption

Extra trains added to tomorrow’s timetable

ScotRail has confirmed it is able to add extra services, including two from Edinburgh, to its timetable on Thursday, which had been disrupted due to the latest round of RMT Network Rail strikes this week.

The train operator had initially advised that on the non-strike day tomorrow, the same limited timetable would be in operation and that it hoped that some additional routes could be added.

ScotRail will now operate some services on Thursday, including between Edinburgh and Perth and Edinburgh and Aberdeen, in addition to the 12 routes across the central belt, Fife, and the Borders already confirmed during the strike action. The other new routes added tomorrow are Inverness – Perth, Inverness – Aberdeen, Inverness – Wick & Kyle, Glasgow Queen Street – Fort William / Mallaig / Oban, Ayr – Stranraer, Carlisle – Dumfries, Ayr – Glasgow Central, Gourock – Glasgow Central, Neilston – Glasgow Central.

ScotRail have added extra trains to help ease strike disruption

The times of the last trains tomorrow on these routes will vary but they will generally run until the normal end of service. Customers are advised to check their entire journey on the ScotRail website, mobile app, or social media channels before they travel.

David Simpson, ScotRail 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. The widespread disruption across the whole Great Britain rail network as a result of the dispute between Network Rail and the RMT is really disappointing coming at a time when we need to be encouraging more people back to the railway.”

On the two remaining strike days on Friday and Saturday this week, ScotRail will return to its strike timetable and run services on 12 routes across the central belt, Fife, and the Borders between 7.30am and 6.30pm.

Edinburgh Waverley – Glasgow Queen Street via Falkirk High: two trains per hour.

Edinburgh Waverley – Helensburgh Central: two trains per hour.

Glasgow Central – Hamilton/Larkhall: two trains per hour.

Glasgow Central – Lanark: two trains per hour.

Edinburgh Waverley – Glasgow Central via Shotts: one train per hour.

Edinburgh Waverley – Cowdenbeath: two trains per hour.

Edinburgh Waverley – Tweedbank: two trains per hour.

Edinburgh Waverley – North Berwick: one train per hour.

Edinburgh Waverley – Larbert: one train per hour.

Glasgow Queen Street – Larbert: one train per hour.

Glasgow Queen Street – Falkirk Grahamston: one train per hour.

Milngavie – Springburn: two trains per hour.

Due to the greater reliance on manual signalling outside the Central Belt, Network Rail is unable to facilitate passenger services on any other routes on the strike days. Signal boxes are key pieces of Network Rail infrastructure located across the rail network that control train movements. Their use is critical to ensure that the railway can operate safely.

Customers are being warned that final services on strike days will depart well before 6.30pm, so they should plan ahead and ensure they know when their last train will leave.