A TEMPORARY timetable is being introduced by ScotRail “to provide greater certainty and reliability for customers”.

Issues with staff have led to the cancellation of several trains connecting East Lothian to Edinburgh in recent weeks.

Today (Tuesday), the 12.11pm service from the capital to Dunbar has been cancelled along with the 1.02pm service heading in the opposite direction.

Elsewhere in the county, the 1.41pm service from Edinburgh to North Berwick has been shelved while the 2.22pm service from North Berwick into the city centre has also been cancelled.

From tomorrow (Wednesday), ScotRail will introduce a temporary timetable as a result of the ongoing impact of fewer train drivers than normal currently being available for overtime or rest day working, as is their contractual right, following confirmation from drivers’ union ASLEF that it will recommend to its Executive Committee a ballot for industrial action over pay.

READ MORE: More cancelled Scotrail services connecting East Lothian and Edinburgh

Mark Ilderton, ScotRail service delivery director, said: “We are very sorry to customers for the disruption to services.

“We know that customers want certainty and reliability, which is why we are introducing a temporary timetable, in place of late-notice cancellations.

“We are operating services which the vast majority of customers use and are still using all the available trains in our fleet so customers can continue to travel.

“We want to resolve the pay dispute with the trade unions and remain fully committed to further discussions.

“We’re asking customers to check their journey on our website or mobile app, as train times will have changed.”

 

 

ScotRail is currently looking to recruit 160 new drivers – the highest level ever – each year.

Reducing the timetable temporarily will mean ScotRail is able to provide “a more reliable service for customers instead of late-notice cancellations”.

The change will see ScotRail operating about 1,660 services each day Monday to Saturday, which is nearly 200 more services than the one introduced in 2022 when there was similar disruption.

The temporary timetable will also provide more than 515,000 seats each day, about twice the number of passenger journeys being made.

READ MORE: Six trains cancelled between East Lothian and Edinburgh

While the times of first or last trains on more than half of all routes will remain unchanged, there will be changes in the number of services provided during the morning and evening peak times.

The temporary timetable can be viewed by going to www.scotrail.co.uk/temporary-timetable-0