UK Royal Mail trains to stop early
Royal Mail is to stop transporting post by rail in Scotland six months earlier than planned in a bid to cut costs.
The final batch will be carried on September 30 before all deliveries are switched to the roads.
The move which could mean up to 160,000 lorry journeys a year – ends a tradition spanning more than 100 years and puts 50 jobs at a freight depot in Motherwell, Lanark-shire, in jeopardy.
Post chiefs planned to stop using trains next April but are bringing the shake-up forward.
“The key driver is costs,” said a Royal Mail spokeswoman.
Rail freight firm EWS is furious. Bosses have slashed charges to Royal Mail by a fifth in two years and put together 37 train configurations in a bid to cut costs.
Royal Mail said it is exempt from VAT when its own lorries are used to transport post while EWS, as a private firm, must charge the tax.
The postal service is currently in the red by (pounds) 1million a day and bosses insist switching to the road network will produce “quality of service”. But they could not explain how the service would cope during major roadworks.
Bosses defended their decision by pointing out major rail disasters have disrupted train services in recent years.
Transport Minister Nicol Stephen is to hold talks with both sides and Royal Mail has said it does not rule out a return to rail if costs can be lowered.
