Rail strikes planned for next week have been called off.
Members of the Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers union at a number of rail companies – including Avanti West Coast and TransPennine Express – were due to stage walkouts on March 30 and April 1.
However, they have now been suspended following further talks between the union and the Rail Delivery Group (RDG) over pay, jobs and conditions.
It means services via Lockerbie will be unaffected on those days.
An RMT statement said: “Following further talks between RMT and the Rail Delivery Group, a proposal was tabled by the RDG which could lead to a resolution to resolve the current national rail dispute through a new offer.
“The NEC has therefore suspended strike action scheduled for March 30 and April 1. RMT will have further talks with the RDG with a view to securing a new offer on pay, job security and working conditions.
“The dispute remains on and the union will continue to make preparations for a re-ballot when the current mandate runs out in mid-May.”
A spokesman for the RDG said: “We welcome this positive step by the leadership of the RMT to call off their planned action on March 30 and April 1. This is great news for our customers and for our staff.
“We are now jointly focused on working constructively towards a settlement to this dispute, which will mean we can do what we have always wanted to do – give our people a pay rise and help secure the long-term future of the railway with rewarding careers for all those who work on it.”
Meanwhile, in a separate dispute, the RMT’s long-running battle with Network Rail was resolved on Monday after members voted in favour of a new pay offer.
The RMT claims the deal includes an uplift on salaries of between 14.4 per cent for the lowest paid grades to 9.2 per cent for the highest paid, increased backpay, a no compulsory redundancy agreement until January 2025 and rail travel benefits.
When Network Rail staff have previously taken strike action, ScotRail had been forced to cancel all its services in Dumfries and Galloway.
However passengers heading to Glasgow will have to use the bus replacement service for at least another month due to the works.
