Transport union warns that strike dates will follow as dispute over extra shifts for train managers worsens

Grahame Smith, STUC General Secretary: “There is a clear need to retain this depot in Scotland”

200 jobs at risk at Scotland's only depot for the repair and maintenance of rail stock

Rail commuter Dr Keith Baker, researcher in fuel poverty at Glasgow Caledonian University (writing in a personal capacity), says the decline in the quality of service provided by ScotRail has reached such depths he has taken to complaining directly to Abellio and Scottish Government Ministers

SCOTRAIL is broken. Since Dutch-owned Abellio took over the franchise in May 2015 the services have been heading towards a cliff.

Kids Go Free Scheme also set to be scrapped

THE head of the TSSA railways union has said “passengers deserve better than higher prices for worse services”, as it launches a petition for public ownership of ScotRail.

The petition was created as it was announced that rail prices are set to rise with the RPI rate of inflation of 3.1 per cent in the new year, despite what the union calls “the worst year of service to Scotland’s rail passengers in ScotRail’s privatised history”.

John Finnie MSP: “The aim of fare-free public transport is about fairness and reducing inequalities”

MEMBERS of the Scottish Greens have backed a motion at their party conference supporting free public transport as a long-term ambition.

Greens, TSSA and Common Weal say the government must do more to support a publicly-run rail service

GREEN MSP John Finnie has questioned the Scottish Government’s “determination” to see a publicly-run rail service become a reality, after transport minister Michael Matheson confirmed the government would be “giving equal treatment to all bidders”.

In-depth report argues the Franchise system should be dismantled, with the railways run as a public service as part of an integrated transport strategy

SCOTLAND needs a fully publicly owned and operated rail system to meet the needs of rail users, a new report published by Common Weal and the Transport Union TSSA  has argued.

Transport Scotland says strike action ‘disappointing’ 

THE SCOTTISH Government should step in to ‘force’ operator Abellio into negotiations ahead of tomorrow’s planned strike, trade unionists have said. 

With talks having broken down between the Rail, Maritime and Transport union (RMT) and Scotrail Abellio ahead of the union’s planned strike, the Scottish Trades Union Congress general secretary has called on the Scottish Government to bring the operator back to negotiations. 

Train drivers union Aslef says that new contractors Abellio have not been negotiating fairly

SUNDAY rail services in Scotland are set to be reduced due to an ongoing pay dispute with drivers, leading to calls for the government to take back the Scotrail franchise.

Train drivers union Aslef has said Dutch company Abellio, which was controversially awarded the Scotrail contract by the Scottish Government last year, has not been negotiating fairly.