SCOTRAIL has announced that six days of disruption are anticipated next week as a result of UK-wide strike action by the RMT union against Network Rail and 13 other train providers.

The dispute from workers is not with ScotRail, although there will be a “major knock-on effect” on services north of the border.

Action looks set to go ahead on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday next week, with just five routes in Scotland’s central belt running during the hours of 7.30am and 6.30pm.

Routes between Glasgow and Edinburgh via Falkirk High, Edinburgh and Bathgate, Glasgow and Larkhall and Glasgow and Lanark will have two trains per hour, while another between Edinburgh and Glasgow via Shotts will have one train per hour.

Customers have been warned they should only travel on the routes “if they really need to” and that final services will leave stations “well before 6.30pm”.

Disruption will also be felt on the network in the days following the action as signal boxes are reopened, particularly outside the central belt.

An update from ScotRail today said it “may well be later in the day” before services return to normal in areas other than the middle of the country, where signal boxes are expected to be reopened as early at 7.15am.

David Simpson, ScotRail’s service delivery director, said: “It is very unfortunate to see such widespread disruption across the whole of the Great Britain rail network and we know this will be frustrating for ScotRail customers.

“Regrettably, this strike action by RMT members of Network Rail means that we will not be able to operate the vast majority of our services during the period of strike action.

“Customers should expect significant disruption to services next week, including on the days between strike action.

“On the five routes where we are able to operate a very limited service on strike days, we’re advising customers to seek alternative means of transport and to only travel if they really need to.”