MSP for Central Scotland, Graham Simpson, says ScotRail’s decision to cut 30% of their rail services will be hugely damaging to Lanarkshire residents and today asked the First Minister to confirm how long passengers can expect this disruption to go on for.
Mr Simpson’s call comes after the newly nationalised rail provider announced yesterday (18th May) that 700 services will be slashed across Scotland from next Monday amid a pay dispute with drivers.
At FMQs, he asked Nicola Sturgeon to admit that the 130 shortfall in newly trained drivers and current delays in recruitment could leave local residents with a reduced service until 2024.
Across Lanarkshire, there will be a dramatic reduction in ScotRail services. The number of trains running between Edinburgh and Glasgow, which stop at various stations in the region, will fall from 45 a day to 30. Motherwell’s service to Glasgow Central has been cut, with the last train arriving back at 21:27 as opposed to 23:48 currently.
The number of trains running between Glasgow Central and East Kilbride will fall from 35 a day to 20 and the last train back to the town is now 22:17 instead of 23:17 during the week. In Airdrie, the number of services will plummet from 78 per day to 58 – leaving many residents concerned.
Mr Simpson also expressed dismay with the Transport Minister who has chosen to walk away from union negotiations, after they were described by ASLEF as “the worst pay negotiations” in decades, and called for Jenny Gilruth to get back round the table.
He says that – as with the ferries – the problems on Scotland’s railways have only got worse since the SNP stepped in and their mismanagement means passengers and commuters in Lanarkshire are paying the price.
Graham Simpson, MSP for Central Scotland said: “The SNP took over the running of our rail service on April Fool’s Day - but Nat-Rail is no joke for Scotland’s passengers in Lanarkshire.
“From next week almost a third of services will be cut leaving towns like Motherwell, Airdrie and East Kilbride with a significantly reduced service.
“This week I asked both the Transport Minister and Nicola Sturgeon to give a guarantee about when these cancellations will end but unsurprisingly neither could give me an answer.
“These cuts are devastating for thousands of local residents who rely on ScotRail’s trains to get to work, see family or attend personal appointments.
“Last month, the First Minister proclaimed that nationalising ScotRail was a ‘new beginning’ that would deliver ‘a railway for the nation’.
“But after just seven weeks, nationalisation is already proving a disaster. As with the ferries, as soon as this government steps into sort things out, the problems get even worse.”
