COMMUTERS faced travel misery as the first in a series of planned train strikes led to cancelled services and an increase in rush-hour congestion.
Traffic Scotland warned traffic was “much heavier than normal” and congestion in Edinburgh city centre caused disruption to tram journeys.
Train operator ScotRail estimated about 30 per cent of its services were unable to run, hitting tens of thousands of passengers, due to the 24-hour walk-out in a dispute over driver-only trains.
Read more: ScotRail denies 'sabotaging' talks to resolve driver-only trains row
A total of 15 routes, including Glasgow to Inverness and Edinburgh to Aberdeen, were cancelled while the frequency of other services was cut in half.
The second 24-hour walk-out is expected to go ahead tomorrow as relations between the employer and the Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) union worsened.
The union, which is opposed to the extension of driver-only and driver-controlled services, balloted ScotRail conductors last month, saying it had not received the assurances it had sought on the issue from the company.
These included guarantees the safety role of conductors and their role in operating train doors would not be reduced or abolished.
But ScotRail managing director Phil Verster said the strike was “totally needless” and “only about who opens and closes doors on trains, nothing more”.
The RMT, meanwhile, accused the company of drawing up a secret strategy to “smash” unions and “smuggle” in driver-only trains. The union said it had seen documents that “nail the company lie” there is no threat to guards’ jobs and their safety-critical role.
The union said the documents were issued in error by ScotRail on Monday night and subsequently withdrawn.
Read more: Union accuses ScotRail of 'sabotaging' strike talks
A ScotRail spokeswoman said: “One of a series of internal discussion documents that looked at all the ideas as to how we might modernise and improve our service to our customers was made available to our staff in error. It was swiftly withdrawn and an explanation sent to our people about the error and to make clear this was in no way a formal proposal.
“However, we should not let this distract from the real issue. Today, thousands of people are being disrupted – and hundreds of our people are being hit financially – due to a totally unnecessary strike.
“We are doing everything we can to keep people moving, the railway is very much open for business. The RMT should call off this action, get back round the table and start meaningful discussions with us about how we continue to modernise and improve our railway.”
Read more: Hundreds of ScotRail conductors set to strike from next week in dispute over safety
Commuters on routes between Edinburgh and Glasgow, as well as people on trains between Inverness and Glasgow and also Edinburgh and North Berwick, were among those affected.
An Edinburgh Trams spokesman said there were “significant delays” caused by city centre congestion.
It comes after planned talks between the two sides failed on Monday, paving the way for the first of seven day-long strikes. Guards at the RMT backed walkouts by three to one. General secretary Mick Cash said the strike was about safety of passengers and staff.
“The strike on ScotRail is solid as a rock with our members united and determined in the fight for jobs and safety on Scotland’s railways,” he said.
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