ScotRail timetable returns to normal for Monday commute

About 250 new drivers have been recruited since ScotRail was brought back into public ownership by the Scottish government in April 2022.

A further 160 a year are being recruited.

However, their training takes time and some of the new drivers will replace others who have left.

Some routes still have less frequent services than before the pandemic. Notably, trains still run between Glasgow and Edinburgh every half hour for much of the daytime – not every 15 minutes.

When the return to the regular timetable was launched, Mark Ilderton, ScotRail’s service delivery director, said: “We are delighted to confirm that our full timetable will return on Monday.

“We have been working round the clock to deliver this in a very short space of time because we know how important a full service is to our customers.

“It’s been a difficult few months for our customers and staff, and we thank everybody for their patience.”

The restored timetable comes a week after the reintroduction of peak time fares – although the two are unconnected.

Peak fares were abolished as an experiment through a project funded by the Scottish government.

The hope was the scheme would lead to a big enough rise in passenger numbers to allow it to pay for itself.

The rise in passenger numbers was insufficient and the government has decided to stop paying for the pilot.