MORE than 400 train services are estimated to have been been hit on Sunday due to a shortage of train drivers - despite extensive cuts to the nationalised ScotRail timetable.

Scotrail said 320 train services were cancelled as it is feared the driver shortages may take five years to fix.

But at least another 70 services were further curtailed by not stopping at certain stations and another 30 had carriages cut due to the shortages.

ScotRai told passengers to “consider making their own arrangements”.

It comes after ScotRail cut rail services by a third last Monday as drivers work to rule in a pay dispute. Transport minister Jenny Gilruth said it would give travellers more "certainty".

The service disruption came because ScotRail were unable to put an adjusted temporary Sunday timetable in place.

In a chaotic Saturday, late night train services were laid on at the 11th hour in some areas hours after a new driver shortage timetable released on Friday had axed them.

The Herald:

The late train to some areas had disappeared in many area on Friday - with final trips setting out up to four hours earlier before night outs have barely begun. ScotRail says the temporary but indefinite timetable has come as a result of the drivers' pay dispute which has meant some refusing to take up the option of working rest days and Sundays, crucial to keep trains running in Scotland.

As the services were asked, ScotRail told users: “Unfortunately, it hasn’t been possible to implement a temporary timetable.

“That means the normal timetable will be in operation and there will be cancellations.

"The complexities of pulling together such widespread changes to timetables means it's not possible to do it in such a short space of time. We apologise to customers..."

ScotRail also explained to customers why it is that carriages also had to be cut.

"A shortage of train drivers means we have less crew availability to move trains to and from depots, and into position to ‘couple up’ with other trains and so some trains will have fewer carriages than they may normally have."

Unions say the service is run on a six-day per week basis with Sunday not classed as a working day.

But there are union concerns that the shortages on a Sunday, will not be resolved for at least five years because of the costs of recruitment brought about by having it included as a working day.

Train staff and drivers have been offered an improved 4.2% pay risen to end the dispuite - when some have been pushing for an uplift closeer to a rate of inflation of 8.2%. Union leaders have not made any recommendations of acceptance or rejection to members and a consultative referendum is expected.

Concerns have been raised that as part of the deal, ScotRail only made a commitment to make changes to ensure seven-day rather than the current six-day working pattern within five years.

On Sunday there was not one driver job on ScotRail’s website, despite Transport Minister Jenny Gilruth saying on May 19 it was advertising.

Tess White, the Scottish Conservatives' north east Scotland MSP said: "ScotRail is going the same way for commuters across the country as the ferries deal went for islanders.

It is failure after failure with this SNP Government. Scotland deserves better."

The Scottish Government said at the end of last year there were 1,168 train drivers - 82 more than when Abellio took the franchise in December, 2015. During 2021, 74 drivers left ScotRail to retire or move to other operators for other reasons.

The Scottish Government decided last year to take ScotRail under direct state control stripping Dutch state transport firm Abellio of the franchise three years early in the wake of continuing outcry over service failings and rising costs to the taxpayer.

It came after a 2018 winter timetable with the introduction of high-speed trains and new class 385 electric trains ushered in months of cancellations and disruption to services with much of it put down to staff shortages partly due to training to deal with the new trains and timetable.

The Scottish Government took charge of the ScotRail in April, running then around 2,400 train services each day through an arms-length company ScotRail Trains Ltd.