By love-89.com In a recent interview, a spokesperson for ScotRail shared some exciting updates about train services in Scotland. After several months of operating on a reduced schedule due to a pay dispute, the timetable has finally returned to normal.
The spokesperson highlighted that these changes will result in an increase in services, especially during the evenings. However, they did mention that some routes may still have fewer trains compared to levels before the pandemic. “We’re encouraging our customers to check the updated timetable online,” they suggested.
Additionally, ScotRail warned that while there will be more services available, some trains may not be running at the times customers have gotten used to, and connections might look different. On the bright side, they noted that peak hours will see trains running every 15 minutes along the main route between Glasgow and Edinburgh.
The pay dispute, which lasted several weeks, was finally resolved when the drivers’ union ASLEF agreed to a 4.5% wage increase. Before this resolution, drivers had been refusing overtime and working on their rest days, which led to a large number of last-minute cancellations in July.
In response, ScotRail temporarily reduced its timetable to improve reliability. “Once the dispute was resolved, we had a lot of work to do to return to our normal schedule,” the spokesperson explained. They elaborated that ensuring driver availability for overtime, creating new rosters, and updating the overall timetable required considerable time and effort.
Looking to the future, ScotRail reaffirmed its commitment to reducing reliance on driver overtime, recognizing that this is a long-term objective that will necessitate careful planning and execution.