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| ScotRail: Why have hundreds of trains been cancelled? | ScotRail: Why have hundreds of trains been cancelled? |
| (32 minutes later) | |
| Hundreds of trains have been cancelled in Scotland, after operator ScotRail issued a temporary timetable that cut daily services by a third. | Hundreds of trains have been cancelled in Scotland, after operator ScotRail issued a temporary timetable that cut daily services by a third. |
| It comes amid a pay dispute between ScotRail bosses and railway unions, where drivers have declined to work overtime or on rest days. | It comes amid a pay dispute between ScotRail bosses and railway unions, where drivers have declined to work overtime or on rest days. |
| ScotRail does not have enough drivers to run normal services, so without drivers working overtime, trains have been cut across the country. | ScotRail does not have enough drivers to run normal services, so without drivers working overtime, trains have been cut across the country. |
| How have services changed? | How have services changed? |
| About 700 train services a day were axed on Monday 23 May. ScotRail's original Summer 2022 timetable had about 2,150 weekday services. This has now been reduced to 1,456 in the temporary timetable. | About 700 train services a day were axed on Monday 23 May. ScotRail's original Summer 2022 timetable had about 2,150 weekday services. This has now been reduced to 1,456 in the temporary timetable. |
| Under ScotRail's previous operator Abellio, services peaked at more than 2,400 trains every weekday. This was an increase of 9% a decade earlier. | Under ScotRail's previous operator Abellio, services peaked at more than 2,400 trains every weekday. This was an increase of 9% a decade earlier. |
| But when the Covid pandemic hit in March 2020, services were reduced as passenger numbers plummeted by 95%. Thousands of people swapped their daily commute for home working. | But when the Covid pandemic hit in March 2020, services were reduced as passenger numbers plummeted by 95%. Thousands of people swapped their daily commute for home working. |
| ScotRail reinstated 150 services in its summer timetable, but said peak-time commuter services would not return to pre-pandemic levels. | ScotRail reinstated 150 services in its summer timetable, but said peak-time commuter services would not return to pre-pandemic levels. |
| What's the background to the cuts? | What's the background to the cuts? |
| ScotRail is back in public ownership for the first time in 25 years, after Abellio had its franchise ended early amid criticism of the quality of the service. | ScotRail is back in public ownership for the first time in 25 years, after Abellio had its franchise ended early amid criticism of the quality of the service. |
| A Scottish government owned company took over the running of ScotRail last month. But this coincided with a driver pay dispute. | A Scottish government owned company took over the running of ScotRail last month. But this coincided with a driver pay dispute. |
| Train drivers' union Aslef is balloting members for strike action after rejecting a 2.2% pay offer. The RMT union, which covers other rail workers, then also announced it would hold a strike ballot over pay. | Train drivers' union Aslef is balloting members for strike action after rejecting a 2.2% pay offer. The RMT union, which covers other rail workers, then also announced it would hold a strike ballot over pay. |
| Rail union to ballot over 'derisory' pay offer | Rail union to ballot over 'derisory' pay offer |
| Anger over 'devastating' cuts to ScotRail services | Anger over 'devastating' cuts to ScotRail services |
| ScotRail began cancelling hundreds of trains from Sunday 8 May after many drivers chose not to work overtime or on rest days. | ScotRail began cancelling hundreds of trains from Sunday 8 May after many drivers chose not to work overtime or on rest days. |
| About 300 services had been cancelled on Sundays before the new temporary timetable was announced. | About 300 services had been cancelled on Sundays before the new temporary timetable was announced. |
| The operator had relied on drivers working extra hours, due to delays in training new staff during the pandemic. | The operator had relied on drivers working extra hours, due to delays in training new staff during the pandemic. |
| ScotRail said that without the Covid impact on training, it would have trained about an extra 130 drivers. | ScotRail said that without the Covid impact on training, it would have trained about an extra 130 drivers. |
| Who will be worst affected? | Who will be worst affected? |
| Passengers travelling on the earliest trains of the day and using evening services will be worst hit. Evening trains on routes across the country now terminate hours earlier. | Passengers travelling on the earliest trains of the day and using evening services will be worst hit. Evening trains on routes across the country now terminate hours earlier. |
| Last trains on many services now depart before 20:00, whereas before this could be after 23:00 or near midnight. | Last trains on many services now depart before 20:00, whereas before this could be after 23:00 or near midnight. |
| Many daily workers are concerned they will struggle to get home using the rail network. | Many daily workers are concerned they will struggle to get home using the rail network. |
| Hospitality and entertainment businesses have also warned the situation will affect their income, with passengers unable to get into towns and city centres. | Hospitality and entertainment businesses have also warned the situation will affect their income, with passengers unable to get into towns and city centres. |
| The Night Time Industries Association Scotland described the cuts as devastating, and said it was a "cruel blow" while businesses were trying to recover after the pandemic. | The Night Time Industries Association Scotland described the cuts as devastating, and said it was a "cruel blow" while businesses were trying to recover after the pandemic. |
| How much does a train driver earn? | How much does a train driver earn? |
| A typical ScotRail driver salary is more than £50,000. | A typical ScotRail driver salary is more than £50,000. |
| With drivers being offered a 2.2% pay rise and the opportunity to participate in a revenue share arrangement, the Scottish government says this would take the total package to 5%. | With drivers being offered a 2.2% pay rise and the opportunity to participate in a revenue share arrangement, the Scottish government says this would take the total package to 5%. |
| Aslef rejected this offer. The RMT union, which had agreed a backdated pay rise of 2.5% in October, also declined the year's deal. | Aslef rejected this offer. The RMT union, which had agreed a backdated pay rise of 2.5% in October, also declined the year's deal. |
| After UK inflation jumped to 9% in the 12 months to April, the highest for 40 years, Aslef called for ScotRail to put a "more realistic" deal on the table. | After UK inflation jumped to 9% in the 12 months to April, the highest for 40 years, Aslef called for ScotRail to put a "more realistic" deal on the table. |
| The union's Scottish organiser, Kevin Lindsay, said: "I appreciate other sectors and other workers may not be on the same salaries, but this isn't a race to the bottom, my job is to protect the terms and conditions of train drivers." | The union's Scottish organiser, Kevin Lindsay, said: "I appreciate other sectors and other workers may not be on the same salaries, but this isn't a race to the bottom, my job is to protect the terms and conditions of train drivers." |
| Scotland's employment minister Richard Lochhead urged workers to be "sensible" when asking for pay rises. | Scotland's employment minister Richard Lochhead urged workers to be "sensible" when asking for pay rises. |
| And ScotRail service delivery director, David Simpson, said the unions' demands were "just not sustainable in the current economic climate of the railway". | And ScotRail service delivery director, David Simpson, said the unions' demands were "just not sustainable in the current economic climate of the railway". |
| When will the cancellations end? | When will the cancellations end? |
| First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has said she hoped the train timetable would get back to normal "as quickly as possible". | First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has said she hoped the train timetable would get back to normal "as quickly as possible". |
| But this would require a swift resolution to the pay dispute or new drivers completing their training - which is expected to take months. | But this would require a swift resolution to the pay dispute or new drivers completing their training - which is expected to take months. |
| ScotRail said a full timetable could return if drivers offered to return to previous levels of rest-day working. | ScotRail said a full timetable could return if drivers offered to return to previous levels of rest-day working. |
| It also said the training scheme was "going very well" with 130 new drivers going through the programme. | It also said the training scheme was "going very well" with 130 new drivers going through the programme. |
| Scotland's transport minister Jenny Gilruth said she expected 38 new drivers to be qualified by the end of the summer, 55 by the end of 2022, and 100 by June 2023. | Scotland's transport minister Jenny Gilruth said she expected 38 new drivers to be qualified by the end of the summer, 55 by the end of 2022, and 100 by June 2023. |
| She also said rest day working for drivers was "outdated" and that as new owners, the Scottish government was seeking to phase it out. | She also said rest day working for drivers was "outdated" and that as new owners, the Scottish government was seeking to phase it out. |
| What about trains to big events? | What about trains to big events? |
| ScotRail have offered little clarity for passengers who have tickets to major concerts, festivals and sporting events. | ScotRail have offered little clarity for passengers who have tickets to major concerts, festivals and sporting events. |
| But the RMT warned it would target industrial action around the Edinburgh Festival in August. | But the RMT warned it would target industrial action around the Edinburgh Festival in August. |
| The union's Scotland organiser told The Sunday Post newspaper: "We would deliberately target the Edinburgh Festival because that's where the impact is going be." | The union's Scotland organiser told The Sunday Post newspaper: "We would deliberately target the Edinburgh Festival because that's where the impact is going be." |
| During the month-long festival, passenger numbers from Edinburgh can increase by 50% during the week and double at weekends. | During the month-long festival, passenger numbers from Edinburgh can increase by 50% during the week and double at weekends. |
| Before the pandemic, ScotRail had run extra trains between Edinburgh and Glasgow every night of the festival, with services until after midnight. | Before the pandemic, ScotRail had run extra trains between Edinburgh and Glasgow every night of the festival, with services until after midnight. |
| There is also concern about football matches at Hampden - with Scotland's World Cup play-off semi-final against Ukraine on Wednesday 1 June. | |
| Scottish Conservative transport spokesman, Liam Kerr MSP, said: "ScotRail must ensure the tens of thousands of fans attending can get home that night. | Scottish Conservative transport spokesman, Liam Kerr MSP, said: "ScotRail must ensure the tens of thousands of fans attending can get home that night. |
| "It's unacceptable that the last trains to Aberdeen, Dundee and Perth leave before the match has even kicked off." | "It's unacceptable that the last trains to Aberdeen, Dundee and Perth leave before the match has even kicked off." |
| ScotRail said travel advice for upcoming Scotland internationals would be issued in the lead-up to the games. | ScotRail said travel advice for upcoming Scotland internationals would be issued in the lead-up to the games. |