ScotRail cancellations continue over staffing dispute

Dozens of ScotRail services have been cancelled as weekend disruption on the railways continues into Monday.

The rail operator warned passengers to check services before travelling, with more than 80 services not running due to a shortage of train crew.

About a quarter of services on Sunday were believed to have been cancelled, leading to some routes running less frequently or finishing earlier than usual.

ScotRail said the disruption was due to fewer than normal train drivers taking on overtime as a pay dispute with the union Aslef continues. 

Monday services between Edinburgh and Helensburgh, Glasgow Central and Largs and Aberdeen and Edinburgh are among the routes affected.

Aslef informed ScotRail on Friday it was considering a ballot for industrial action in the pay dispute.

In the meantime, a number of train drivers have refused to work extra Sunday shifts and overtime, which has had an impact on services.

Government-owned ScotRail said it was traditional in the rail industry for Sunday services to rely on drivers taking on extra shifts as overtime.

There is now concern from the rai operator that shifts which have to be covered at short notice during the week, due to illness for example, will also be difficult to fill.

Aslef said the Scottish government had failed to address a driver shortage and pay issues.

The union’s Scotland organiser Kevin Lindsay said the government should have seen the issues coming “a mile down the tracks”.

He added: “The Scottish government is the sole shareholder of ScotRail yet have completely failed to address the driver shortage.

“This is a crisis entirely of their own making.”

ScotRail said it had to abide by the Scottish government’s public sector pay guidelines, and made an offer in line with those on Friday.

Mark Ilderton, ScotRail service delivery director, said the operator was sorry for the inconvenience caused to customers.

He said: “We want to resolve the pay dispute matter with trade unions and will remain fully committed to further discussions”.

ScotRail is planning to recruit 160 new drivers every year for the next couple of years.

It said this would help address the backlog of driver training which happened during Covid when it was not possible to pair an instructor with a trainee.