Rail passengers forced to change travel plans due to strike

Passengers had to change their travel plans as strikes brought disruption to Scotland’s rail network on Wednesday.

ScotRail said it is only able to run a skeleton service on five routes north of the border on July 27 due to strike action by Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) members of Network Rail.

Thousands of union members have walked out in the bitter row over jobs, pay and conditions.

Shelley Little, 45, was travelling from Edinburgh Waverley to Glasgow with her teenage daughter, Lennie.

They were both planning to visit the Scottish cities before returning home to Doncaster in South Yorkshire but their time has been taken up by disrupted travel.

Ms Little said: “No-one has given us any information about what’s going on, we had no idea. We just turned up at Waverley and it said our train to Glasgow was cancelled on the notice board, but with no reason.

“We had delays coming to Edinburgh from Glasgow yesterday as well.

“The only person who has been any help was a passenger who seemed to have a bit more of an idea of what was going on. No-one from the train company has said anything to us.

“Today we have to pay to put our bags in luggage because we have been delayed. It’s annoying, and expensive.

“We aim to get back in England on Friday, but we don’t know what’s going to happen.

“It’s eaten into a lot of our time visiting Scotland.”

Jessica Teele, who was travelling home to Australia from Scotland, said she had to get an earlier train because her booked journey from Edinburgh Waverley had been cancelled.

The 35-year-old said: “The strikes have affected my journey, so I’m just making sure I make moves as early as possible as I’m not sure what other services are going to be cancelled.

“Not a great start.”

Meanwhile, Sarah Johnson, 18, said she had to change her travel plans to London because of the strike action.

“I was meant to be travelling via Carlisle on my way to London, but because of delays to services I’ve had to switch my route, so I’m now changing at Glasgow instead,” she said.

ScotRail services started at 7.30am on Wednesday and will end at 6.30pm.

The company tweeted: “Please plan ahead to ensure you know when your last train will run.”