SCOTRAIL TO RUN MORE TRAINS DURING STRIKE
Wednesday 10 March 2010
ScotRail will run more trains for the Scotland v England RBS 6 Nations game on Saturday – and operate almost 100% of services on key routes despite the RMT strike.
It will be the highest number of services yet – breaking the 93% figure reached on Monday, March 1.
The train operator intends to run 100% of services across Central Scotland and ensure rugby fans get to and from the Calcutta Cup match at Murrayfield. Plans include running the usual rugby services between Glasgow and Edinburgh for the 17.00 kick off - with extra carriages provided.
The special timetable for March 13 will again see full services on many routes – including Glasgow Queen Street-Edinburgh services and Aberdeen and Inverness services to and from
Edinburgh and Glasgow.
On the previous two strike dates by the RMT, ScotRail ran at least nine out of 10 trains.
Steve Montgomery, managing director of ScotRail, said: “It will be business as usual. Our contingency plans are such that we intend to run the vast majority of services.”
As previously, some rural services will be replaced by buses.
The RMT strike is over having ticket examiners rather than conductors as the second person on services on the new £300m line between Glasgow and Edinburgh via Airdrie and Bathgate.
The new line will create 130 new jobs – and the trains are the same as those which have operated in Scotland for 25 years.
ScotRail remains available for meaningful talks at any time.
Full details of the special timetable are on ScotRail’s website www.scotrail.co.uk
The summary shows:
SERVICES RUNNING NORMALLY
• Edinburgh – Glasgow via Falkirk High
• Strathclyde services, except Motherwell – Cumbernauld
• Edinburgh / Glasgow – Aberdeen / Inverness
• Edinburgh – North Berwick
• Aberdeen – Inverness
• Glasgow – Edinburgh via Shotts
• Glasgow – Maryhill / Anniesland
• Glasgow – Carlisle / Newcastle
• Caledonian Sleeper services
ROUTES WITH MINOR CHANGES
• Glasgow / Edinburgh – Alloa / Dunblane / Perth
• Edinburgh – Bathgate
• Fife Circle
• Edinburgh - Newcraighall
KEY SERVICE CHANGES
• Glasgow – Oban / Fort William / Mallaig – buses will replace trains
• Inverness - Kyle of Lochalsh / Wick / Thurso - buses will replace trains
• Kilmarnock - Girvan / Stranraer - buses will replace trains
• A reduced service will operate between Perth and Edinburgh
Media inquiries
Iain Wilson: 0141 335 4565 / iain.wilson@firstgroup.com
Notes to editors
• The new Glasgow to Edinburgh via Airdrie and Bathgate service will be subsidised by the Scottish Government which is reopening the rail link at a cost of more than £300 million.
• To operate with conductors rather than ticket examiners would entail unnecessary and inefficient Scottish taxpayers’ costs and worsen journey time and performance for passengers.
• It would cost £1.4m to convert the trains for conductors to open and close the doors. The modifications would delay the timing of the new route opening which is scheduled for December.
• Nothing changes with the introduction of the new services - where part of the line already has driver door operated trains with a ticket examiner on board. Indeed, the majority of ScotRail journeys are on such trains – almost 47 million journeys a year.
• The protection of the train is the driver’s responsibility on all ScotRail services regardless of the grade of the second person on board – a ticket examiner or a conductor. In so far as evacuation is concerned, all on board staff are trained in evacuation.
