ScotRail trains hit by Christmas Eve strike action
- Published
RMT members of Network Rail are striking on Christmas Eve, which will cause disruption for passengers in Scotland
Rail services are coming to a halt in Scotland as passengers are hit by Christmas Eve strike action.
ScotRail said services started to wind down from 15:00, ahead of the strike by RMT members of Network Rail beginning at 18:00.
There will also be no trains on Boxing Day and services will start later on 27 December.
A ScotRail spokesperson said passengers should check the company's website or app before they travelled.
The strikes are part of a long-running dispute over pay, job security and conditions.
The full details of the impact on ScotRail services are:
Christmas Eve: Services will run as normal until about 15:00 when they will begin to wind down to allow for critical engineering works. No train services will start after 18:00, except for the 18:15 Cumbernauld to Motherwell, but some trains will still be in transit. The last trains on the main service between Glasgow and Edinburgh will leave before 16:00.
Christmas Day: ScotRail does not operate services on Christmas Day.
Boxing Day: No services will operate due to use of contingent Network Rail staff and the prioritisation of critical engineering works. ScotRail normally operates a reduced service across the Strathclyde region.
27 December: Most services on that day will start around 08:00, but in some parts of the country, such as Stirling, there will be no trains running until 17:00. This is due to the shift start times of Network Rail signallers.
Hogmanay: Services will stop earlier than normal for the usual Hogmanay closedown.
Scotrail communications director David Ross said: "Services will have to end earlier than they normally would on Christmas Eve.
"That's because of the Network Rail/RMT strike that doesn't involve ScotRail but does impact our ability to operate services so they'll start to wind down from around 15:00 and final services will arrive around about 18:00.
"Our advise to passengers is to check the app, visit the website and check when your last service is running so we can get you where you need to be on Christmas Eve."
ScotRail says its services will wind down ahead of the strike by RMT members of Network Rail on Christmas Eve
The RMT union said there had been no further negotiations scheduled with the Department for Transport to prevent the upcoming strikes.
It said pay offers from Network Rail and the train operating companies were well below what had been agreed in other parts of the country.
RMT general secretary Mick Lynch said: "The union remains available for talks to resolve this dispute.
"But until the [UK] government gives the rail industry a mandate to come to a negotiated settlement on job security, pay and conditions of work, our industrial campaign will continue into the new year, if necessary."
Major disruption to both ScotRail and cross-border services is also expected in the first week of January.
Train drivers across 15 rail companies - including TransPennine Express and Avanti West Coast - are planning to strike on 5 January.
RMT members of Network Rail, which maintains the rails, signals and stations, plan further strikes on 3-4 and 6-7 January.