The Ticket Collector

Updated: Signallers Strike Action 7th to 9th March 2007

Posted: 08March2007Ok so now we know the full extent of the strike action which is taking place at the moment. You can read the details below as to why the strike is taking place.

GNER services have not really been affected with most of their services starting/finishing at Berwick on Tweed or Newcastle.

Affected services include many First ScotRail services, with all the Scottish Sleeper Services being CANCELLED tonight (Thursday 08 March).

Their will be a service operating between Edinburgh Waverley and Glasgow Queen Street which is due to run every 30 minutes for the duration of the dispute. The last train is scheduled to leave Glasgow at 1800, while the last departure from Edinburgh will be at 1745.

Very reduced services are operating between Edinburgh and Fife, Bathgate, North Berwick and Stirling.

Some services from Glasgow will run on reduced timetables, most services have been cancelled until Friday afternoon.

The routes to Whifflet, Paisley Canal, Dumfries and Carlisle, Wemyss Bay and the Cathcart circle are suspended until Friday Evening. There are no services between Aberdeen and Glasgow, Edinburgh and Inverness. Services from Inverness to Glasgow, Edinburgh, Wick, Thurso and Kyle of Lochalsh have also been cancelled.

The other cancelled services include those between Perth and Glasgow and those from Edinburgh to West Calder, Newcraighall and Glasgow via Shotts.

As always TheTicketCollector.co.uk will aim to keep you up to date.

Posted: 05March2007
Supervisory and signalling staff employed by Network Rail have voted for strike action in Scotland from noon on Wednesday 7 March to noon on Friday 9 March 2007.

This means that GNER and First ScotRail services will be affected.

The Overnight Sleeper Services to and From Scotland have been Cancelled.

A limited service will operate on GNER from stations in England to Edinburgh Waverley, GNER services to/from Inverness, Aberdeen and Glasgow Central will not operate during the strike period.

GNER has closed reservations for journeys in Scotland for Wednesday 7th, Thursday 8th and Friday 9th March. So GNER has no need to worry about replacing the printer which never works anyway.

Passengers are advised to contact the Company where they purchased their tickets for further information.

RMT general secretary Bob Crow said that as a result the union was also in the process of balloting all signal workers for strike action

“Network Rail management in Scotland have shown that they not prepared to negotiate sensibly on a number of issues in dispute but choose instead to ignore the genuine concerns of our members,” said Bob Crow.

“The company has failed to honour an agreement on the introduction of the 35-hour week and attempted at some locations to introduce eight-hour rosters in place of the existing 12-hour turns.

“NR managers have also cancelled safety briefing days and unilaterally sought to alter rosters and have been carrying out rule-book testing in signal boxes contrary to assurances that this would not be done.

“This kind of testing is being used by managers to intimidate and penalize staff and it is causing stress to our members who already undertake very important and difficult jobs.

“It is not too late for the management in Scotland to stop attempting to browbeat staff and to engage constructively with this union,” Bob Crow said.