ScotRail is rolling out a new temporary timetable – which means Aberdeen’s last train north to Inverness will leave shortly after 6pm.

Currently, there are trains to Inverness at 8.18pm and 10.18pm.

But due to ongoing staffing difficulties, Scotrail has announced a new temporary timetable will come into force on Monday – axing those two services.

ScotRail hope the new Monday to Friday timetable will “provide greater certainty and reliability for customers” and reduce last-minute cancellations.

The changes mean the last train from Aberdeen to Inverness will leave at 6.18pm. However, services will run as far as Inverurie at 7pm and 7.57pm.

They said the move is a result of the ongoing impact of a significant number of drivers declining to make themselves available for overtime or rest day working.

It follows an announcement by the drivers’ union Aslef that it will ballot for industrial action over pay.

ScotRail is currently working on temporary timetables for Saturdays, which will be broadly similar to the Monday to Friday schedule, as well as timetables for Sundays, and will update customers in the coming days.

Reliance on drivers doing overtime

The train operator said it is “right to make these” changes to provide greater certainty for customers, as the current level of cancellations is not “sustainable” for customers and colleagues.

Like many train operators across the UK, ScotRail has relied on drivers working overtime or on their rest days.

In 2019, ScotRail committed to employing more drivers to phase out the reliance on this practice, however, the Covid-19 pandemic meant that driver training was significantly delayed.

ScotRail is still awaiting formal notification from Aslef and the RMT on the details of the ballots of its members for industrial action.

ScotRail’s service delivery director David Simpson said: “We are very sorry to customers for the disruption of recent days. We know what customers want more than anything is certainty and reliability, which is why we are introducing a temporary timetable.

“We want to resolve this dispute with the trade unions and move forward together to provide the safest, greenest and most reliable railway we can for Scotland. We remain open to further talks with the trade unions.

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

ScotRail said that they “remain open” to further talks to engage in a “meaningful conversation” with Aslef and the RMT.

The temporary timetable for Monday to Friday can be viewed online at scotrail.co.uk/timetable-update