RMT strike action : FAQs Correct as at 17 June 2016 General / Overview What s your advice to customers? There are five things you can do before or on strike days: 1. Check for updates on our dedicated webpage- and keep checking. We ll keep adding information as and when we can confirm details: www.scotrail.co.uk/strike 2. Once the strike day timetables are in retail systems (Monday 20 June), plan your own journey on our website, or via our mobile app. 3. Bear in mind trains that ARE running will be busier so try to buy your tickets for travel in advance preferably the day before. This should save you time. 4. If your schedule permits, travel outwith peak times or work from home. 5. Keep your tickets safe; we ll need them if you decide not to travel and wish to claim a refund. Our website has information on how to do this. Timetables Does a strike mean all services cancelled on those days? No. We ll be running around 70% of ScotRail services during the strikes. Which routes will be affected? Our website has details of routes that are running or will have reduced or cancelled services. Which trains will run? The timetables for days of strike action will be available on the afternoon of Friday 17 June. We will upload these onto our website as a handy guide. Furthermore they should be in UK railway booking systems from Monday 20 June. This means they will also show on the ScotRail app and the travel planner on our website from that date. What service are you planning to operate the day before and after each strike day? Services should run normally on these days, but our advice is to check before setting off, in case there have been last minute changes. You can do this on the app or by logging onto journeycheck.com/scotrail or at scotrail.co.uk Why are some services affected and others operating as normal? Conductors operate the doors on diesel trains, whereas it is drivers who undertake this function on electric trains. That is why electric services will be unaffected by strike action. Check our dedicated webpage for a full list of routes unaffected / reduced / cancelled. Is it just ScotRail trains affected? Yes. It s only our conductors who are taking action. Other train operating companies in Scotland Virgin, Cross Country, First Transpennine - aren t involved in the dispute.
How can you guarantee my onward connection? We re doing everything we can to minimise disruption to your journey. If you travel and miss your connection on a day of strike, we ll do everything we can to get you on the next available service and to where you need to be. Please ask staff at your interchange station or use the customer HelpPoints on platforms. Is there any change to peak/off-peak restrictions? Normal peak time restrictions will be in place on the days of strike action. Will First Class carriages be declassified? To allow us to carry as many of our customers as possible, all first class accommodation will be available to standard ticket holders on the days of strike action. If you have a First Class Ticket you will be entitled to a refund for the difference between First and Standard Class fares on the affected dates. Ticket Refunds/Change of Travel Plans Where journeys are disrupted by strike action, and customers decide not to travel, they will generally be entitled to a full refund, without administration fee, from their ticket retailer. This only applies to services on the following routes: Where services are operating normally, usual ticket and refund conditions apply. (see next page for details)
ScotRail customers holding a valid ticket for any of the affected dates have the following options available to them: Ticket Type Weekly Season Ticket Period Season Ticket (monthly, annual or other period of time) Zonecard Flexipass Anytime Off Peak Super Off Peak Day Advance Spirit of Scotland Travelpass and Rovers BritRail Passes Smartcard Refund arrangements Planned train services will be released in advance so customers should be able to decide whether to buy or renew on this basis. However, if you have already purchased a weekly ticket, a pro-rata refund will be given for each day when there is no rail service, replacement bus service, or ticket acceptance on scheduled buses. Please remember season tickets are valid on other operator services. All refunds will be processed once the strike action has occurred and up to 28 days post-strike. On renewal of the ticket, an additional day extension will be given for each strike day when no rail service, replacement bus service, or ticket acceptance on scheduled buses was provided. Please remember season tickets are valid on other operator services. All refunds will be processed once the strike action has occurred and up to 28 days post-strike. No refund or extensions are possible as travel is permitted on service buses. No refund applicable. Travel on an earlier or later service on the same day; or Travel one day either side of the date for which the ticket is valid. Customers should travel on the same service, or the service immediately before or after the original booked departure. Exception: if you were originally planning to travel on Saturday 25 June, you will be permitted to travel on Friday 24 June or Monday 27 June Travel one day either side of the date for which the ticket is valid. Normal ticket restrictions will still apply. If the specific service you have booked is cancelled: Travel on an earlier or later service on the same day; or Travel one day either side of the date for which the ticket is valid. Customers should travel on the same service or the service immediately before or after the original booked departure. Exception: if you were originally planning to travel on Saturday 25 June, you will be permitted to travel on Friday 24 June or Monday 27 June. A refund will be provided if your journey plans are seriously disrupted. Please write to Customer Relations. A refund will be provided if your journey plans are seriously disrupted. Please write to Customer Relations. Note: If you have a Smartcard you should contact our Smartcard Team on 0344 811 0141 with details of your card number to arrange an extension to your Season Ticket or refund on your Anytime/Off-Peak Ticket. Will I be entitled to compensation if my journey is affected on strike days? Not directly, as we are publishing a timetable in advance of the strike. However, as with any form of disruption, our Delay Repay Guarantee is in place. If a service that is planned to run is delayed by 30 minutes or more, you can claim compensation on your train ticket via scotrail.co.uk/delay-repay How long do I have to make a claim? You should submit your tickets for a refund within 28 days of your planned travel date. How long will it take for my refund or compensation to come through? We always aim to respond to refund requests or compensation claims within 7 working days or receipt. Sometimes it may take longer; when we receive an increased amount of requests for example so please bear with us.
Can I use my ticket on other dates? Broadly yes, but see separate table for details, as it depends on which kind of ticket you have. If I change my travel plans, what will happen to my seat/cycle reservation? We ve suspended all reservations for the duration of the strike. How to get a Refund No admin fee will be applied if purchased from ScotRail directly, and not via a third party retailer. If you bought your ticket: - From any UK station booking office / TVM Take the ticket back to ANY booking office - From the ScotRail website or ScotRail app Send your tickets to Customer Relations - Third party retailers (eg Trainline) Contact them directly - Travel agent Contact them directly as they have been briefed directly by ScotRail Replacement / Alternative Transport Will you provide taxis or replacement buses if there are no trains? We are doing all we can to source replacement buses for routes where there is little alternative public transport options and where there are crucial lifeline connections to the islands via ferry ports. At present we are planning but this is not yet confirmed - to have replacement buses operating on the West highland Lines, and between Aberdeen and Inverness. In addition, a limited bus service will run on the Far North Lines. Elsewhere we will not able to source sufficient numbers of replacement buses. For example it would take around 300 buses just to rail replace our Glasgow Edinburgh services.
Will my ticket be accepted with other train companies - Virgin East Coast, Cross Country, Transpennine Express? Most tickets are valid on the services of all operators, but we are also in touch with other operators to accept tickets that may be ScotRail only. Note: If you re travelling with another train operator, you should always check with them directly for updates on their services. Can I use my train ticket on local buses? On strike days your train ticket can be used on Lothian Bus routes within Edinburgh, and on First Bus routes between Aberdeen and Dyce, under our Ticket Acceptance scheme. Customers wishing alternative transport information should contact: Traveline Scotland, www.travelinescotland.com or 0871 200 22 33 for bus information National Rail Enquiries on 03457 48 49 50 or visit www.scotrail.co.uk for train information. Accessibility Will station and on-train staff be able to provide assistance to disabled passengers as normal? We advise booking assistance in advance so that our staff can be prepared for your arrival and departure but also effectively to help you in the best way they can. Please call us on 0800 912 2 901 or 18001 0800 912 2 901 for the textphone to make arrangements. Our opening hours are 07:00 to 20:00 seven days a week. Assistance will still be available at the station and on the trains for those who require it. However, if your journey is not urgent, we recommend that you consider rescheduling it for another day when strike action is not planned. I pre-booked Passenger Assist and now my train is cancelled. What do I do? If you re booked on a train which is affected by strikes, a member of our team will contact you in advance to make alternative arrangements to get you to where you need to be.