Rail travellers in Tayside and Fife are preparing for a difficult time as ScotRail prepares to slash services.
The rail operator will introduce a temporary timetable on Monday May 23 with around 700 fewer services nationwide.
Services across Tayside and Fife have not escaped – with Dundee travellers angered by the last Dundee to Edinburgh leaving at only 8.30pm.
Other popular local routes have also been hit heavily.
1 – Perth to Dundee
ScotRail bosses have cut 20 journeys here.
The latest departure will now be at 8.26pm, as opposed to just after midnight.
The new improved timetable only came in on Monday. I now can’t commute to Perth to do my show.
— Colin McCredie (@colinmccredie) May 19, 2022
The first train leaving Perth for Dundee will be 8.47am, getting in at 9.07am.
There is a gap of nearly two hours between the 10.50am and 12.44pm departures. The next train leaving Perth for Dundee after that is the 2.45pm.
2 – Dundee to Leuchars
Golf fans visiting the region for The Open in St Andrews this summer will hope for a quick resolution to the industrial dispute that has pre-empted the temporary timetable change.
There are nine fewer daily services from Dundee to Leuchars in the temporary timetable. Leuchars is the station that serves St Andrews.
The last train leaving Dundee for the Fife town leaves at only 6.47pm.
3 – Dunfermline to Glenrothes
Passengers making this Fife journey have been hit hard.
The 21 daily services have been slashed to 15.
Late evening journeys are biggest casualties with the last train from Dunfermline to Glenrothes leaving at 7.52pm, as opposed to 11.51pm.
4 – Montrose to Arbroath
Three early morning trains – departing Montrose at 6.09am, 6.32am and 7.15am – will no longer run, albeit temporarily.
And the last train will now leave at 9.42pm, as opposed to 11.11pm previously.
Also, there is a near-two hour gap when no trains leave Montrose for Arbroath between 2.26pm and 4.12pm.
Previously, two departures left between these times.
5 – Invergowrie to Dundee
ScotRail emergency train timetablers have cut the town’s 16 daily trips to Dundee to seven.
Afternoon departures are now completely gone, although some evening services will be maintained. The last train leaves Invergowrie for Dundee at 8.44pm.
6 – Perth to Dunfermline
Only two daily services on the Edinburgh to Dundee line linked Perth to Dunfermline. The last of those departed at 7am.
The temporary timetable sees an end to both of those.
7 – Montrose to Aberdeen
The busy service for people travelling north from Angus has been reduced from 38 daily trains to 26.
The last train for the Granite City used to leave Montrose at 11.44pm, but will now leave at 10.28pm.
Why is ScotRail introducing this temporary timetable?
The emergency timetable was announced after a slew of cancellations due to industrial action.
The rail operator suggested drivers not working overtime or on rest days were responsible for the cancellations.
The state-owned rail operator says the temporary timetable will make the service more “reliable.”
From Mon, 23 May we'll be bringing in a temporary timetable to make sure the service we provide customers is as reliable as possible.
Please check your journey as train times on your route may have changed.
Tap below to view the revised timetable.
— ScotRail (@ScotRail) May 18, 2022
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