Commuters in Tayside and Fife are facing a summer of chaos as the ScotRail cuts grip the country.
What is likely to happen next? And how are local services affected?
We have answered the key questions on the rail crisis.
1 – Who is striking?
Some RMT members. At the moment, anyway.
Leaders at the National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers announced their intention to strike on Tuesday evening with a ‘strike timetable’ expected in June.
That is a UK wide dispute centred on Network Rail’s plans to cut around 2,500 jobs as managers seek to make massive savings across the network.
RMT members at Network Rail include signallers, as well as other staff.
ScotRail train drivers have not – yet – announced the result of another ballot over a separate dispute concerning pay.
Drivers’ union ASLEF, the RMT and ScotRail managers are due to enter formal negotiations on Thursday as they seek to find a way out of the current impasse.
Drivers have, however, started refusing to work on their rest days as was common previous to the current dispute.
That has led to a driver shortage, a temporary emergency timetable and around a third fewer services.
2 – Which services are worst hit?
We don’t yet know what the impact of strike action may be on services, either linked to the UK-wide Network Rail dispute or the disagreement involving ScotRail drivers.
We do know that the new temporary timetable has already affected travel to many key events, disrupted commuters and has prompted fears over the knock on effect to the night-time economy, be that in Perth, Dundee, Edinburgh or elsewhere.
Perth to Dundee, Dundee to Edinburgh and Montrose to Aberdeen are among the hardest hit local services.
Many fear there could still be worse to come if train strikes take place in Dundee, Perth and Fife.
3 – Why is there industrial action?
Many threads feed into a potential summer of chaos on the UK’s trains.
RMT members maintain the proposed job cuts at Network Rail will make train travel across the UK less safe.
Its members want a good pay rise, job security and no compulsory redundancies.
ScotRail drivers, also, are digging their heels in over pay.
Drivers have rejected a 2.2% pay offer, highlighting the cost of living crisis.
But ScotRail managers say the train drivers’ demands for 10% pay rise are not sustainable.
A fully qualified ScotRail train driver is likely to be earning more than £50,000 a year.
Since nationalisation in April 2022, these are now public sector jobs meaning the drivers’ pay dispute could have a wider knock on effect on pay negotiations in a wide range of fields.
4 – How do you find out if YOUR service is affected?
ScotRail’s latest temporary timetable is available, but it is a rapidly changing situation.
The company only published its previous, refreshed timetable on May 14.
Bosses have signalled they could put on extra services around major events.
They are also still to publish an updated weekend timetable, other than to suggest it will roughly follow the weekday cuts.
5 – How has Fife-based transport minister Jenny Gilruth reacted?
The tone has changed as the various disputes have escalated.
Mid Fife and Glenrothes MSP, and transport minister, Ms Gilruth wrote to her UK Government counterpart Grant Shapps at the start of May concerning the Network Rail dispute – despite the Scottish Government having no say in the negotiations.
She said it was “hugely disappointing” the UK Government was not “doing more” to resolve the dispute.
Fast forward three weeks and she accused an RMT official of not being “respectful” after the official accused her of “telling lies” about the Scottish Government’s position on the dispute.
When pressed on Scotland fans travelling to the upcoming Ukraine play off, Ms Gilruth suggested they could get the bus instead.
6 – What local events could train strikes affect in Dundee, Perth and Fife?
Many of the current temporary ScotRail cuts affect evening services.
That has led to fears surrounding transport to The Open in St Andrews in July.
Dundee’s Summer Sessions gigs – featuring Noel Gallagher and Stereophonics – could also take a hit.
While travellers heading in the opposite direction – to Edinburgh for the festival – have received no guarantees the situation will be resolved, even by August.
7 – When will normal service resume?
It is very difficult to say with the situation changing quickly.
For now, the RMT has signalled its intention to dig its heels in.
Travellers in Scotland will also be keeping their fingers crossed for a positive result from upcoming talks between ScotRail, ASLEF and RMT on that pay dispute.
Conversation