Train passengers face chaos next week due to strike action by rail workers.
Members of the National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers (RMT) who work for Network Rail are planning to walk out on three days - Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday.
It has led to ScotRail cancelling all services running on the Nith Valley line, meaning no trains will be running between Dumfries and Glasgow.
Avanti West Coast is warning passengers using Lockerbie station to only travel “where absolutely necessary”, with TransPennine Express not running any trains north of the border on the strike days.
South Scotland Labour MSP, Colin Smyth, said: “Absolutely no one wants these strikes to go ahead, not the unions, not the staff, not the public but they can be avoided.
“The Tory Government needs to show some leadership and ensure there are meaningful talks between employers and unions to make a fair and sensible pay offer. They must also address the cuts to safety and maintenance staff which are also driving this dispute.
“That is the job of a government minister. Instead of getting a grip of this crisis, the Tories are smugly sitting by while the country is dragged back to the 1980s.”
The RMT is in a dispute with Network Rail and 13 train operators over pay, jobs and pensions.
The union’s general secretary, Mick Lynch, claims workers “have been treated appallingly” and called for a face-to-face meeting with Transport Secretary Grant Shapps and Chancellor Rishi Sunak to resolve the dispute.
However, Mr Shapps has described the strikes as “an incredible act of self-harm” that are “a bid to derail reforms that are critical to the network’s future”.
Network Rail chief executive, Andrew Haines, claimed the action is “needless” and “damaging”.
ScotRail is not one of the companies involved in the dispute but as Network Rail is responsible for train lines and infrastructure across the UK, they say the strike will cause “significant disruption to services”.
As a result, it will only be running a limited timetable on five routes – none in Dumfries and Galloway.
ScotRail’s service delivery director, David Simpson, said: “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.”
TransPennine Express is one of the train operators involved in the dispute.
It won’t be running any trains in Scotland, meaning no services to or from Lockerbie.
Avanti West Coast, which is also affected by the dispute, has scaled back its timetable between Lockerbie and Glasgow and is not running any services to Edinburgh.
The first of four Glasgow-bound trains will leave Lockerbie at 12.25pm with the last one at 5.22pm.
And the last of three Lockerbie-bound trains will leave Glasgow at 12.19pm.
Avanti West Coast director, Phil Whittingham, said: “We’re advising customers to only travel where necessary on our route on strike days and instead make their journeys on alternative days or claim a full refund.”
