Let the train take the strain.
That oft-repeated phrase will be rankling with commuters during this summer of discontent that has brought the Scottish rail network almost to its knees.
An emergency timetable introduced in Scotland because of a dispute with drivers remains in place.
That has meant cuts to services and left much of the north and north-east of Scotland essentially divorced from the Central Belt by mid-evening.
It has killed off the chances of fans attending concerts and events and hopping on the train home.
THREAD 1 / 4 Most ScotRail trains will not be running on 21, 23 & 25 June due to planned industrial action by RMT union members of Network Rail. There'll also be serious disruption to services on the days in between the strikes due to the knock-on impact of the industrial action. pic.twitter.com/37Z5GcLaL8
— ScotRail (@ScotRail) June 16, 2022
And now, separately, a national strike means three days of almost complete shutdown on the rail network across Scotland.
Only a handful of the more than 2,000 regular daily train services will run next week.
And there will be nothing beyond the Central Belt.
Ultimately, it is passengers who are being inconvenienced. And it is their voices that need to be heard.
They are the lifeblood of the rail network. And, if they turn away in their droves, there will be little left for those at the negotiating table to fight over.
It is long past time that heads were knocked together so a solution can be found that will allow these services to be restored.
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