Rail passengers set for disruption as conductors' strikes get under way

Published on Friday 19 February 2010 21:40

RAIL passengers face disruption across much of Scotland today when the first of a series of conductors' strikes will halt trains on seven lines and cancel or disrupt more than 100 on other routes.

ScotRail hopes to run at least nine in ten services by drafting in more than 200 managers – including several from other companies – to replace strikers.

Travellers, however, also face ticket queues at stations because more barrier checks will be in place as the stand-in conductors may not check or sell tickets on trains.

The Rail, Maritime and Transport union (RMT) said more than 500 conductors and drivers would take part in the 24-hour walkout over plans for drivers to take over door-operating duties from conductors on a new line.

A special strike timetable confirms that for today buses will replace trains to Oban, Mallaig, Kyle of Lochalsh, Wick, Thurso, Stranraer and Dumfries/Carlisle.

But it also shows disruption to all other ScotRail routes, apart from those in Strathclyde and the main Edinburgh-Glasgow line.

• Alastair Dalton: Conductors close doors on 'unsafe' practices

Among them, services on the Edinburgh to North Berwick line will be halved to hourly or even less frequently, while those on the Edinburgh-Perth lines will also be reduced. The cancellations mean some passengers will have to wait three times as long for trains.

The Office of Rail Regulation said it had assessed the training given to the stand-in conductors and inspectors would be checking their performance today.

Strikes have also been called for Monday, 1 March and Saturday, 13 March – the day of the Scotland v England Calcutta Cup rugby clash at Murrayfield in Edinburgh.

Staff on London sleeper trains will stage separate strikes from Sunday, 28 February to Tuesday, 2 March, and Sunday, 14 March to Tuesday, 16 March, but ScotRail said the trains would run normally.

Passenger watchdogs urged ScotRail to provide full information to travellers about the strikes. Robert Samson of Passenger Focus said: "Passengers will be inconvenienced by the strike action, but the only way to resolve this is for ScotRail and the union to get round the table."

Ministers yesterday declined to intervene. A Scottish Government spokesman said the dispute was for the two sides to resolve.

Its Transport Scotland agency said it had agreed to a ScotRail recommendation that trains on the new Edinburgh-Glasgow line via Bathgate and Airdrie should be operated with drivers, rather than conductors, controlling doors.

Both ScotRail and the RMT said yesterday they were open to fresh talks, but no new meeting had been arranged.

RMT general secretary Bob Crow said: "Despite all the spin and hot air from ScotRail, it remains the case the dispute on their services, and the strike action this weekend, is simply about the company compromising safety by axing the guards in order to save money."

ScotRail managing director Steve Montgomery said: "We strongly refute your allegations that driver door-operated services with a ticket examiner on board is unsafe.

"Our contingency plans are such that almost all our customers will not notice there is a strike."