Britons face another day of disruptions as train crews stage strike

Gwyn Topham Transport correspondent

Sat, 13 May 2023 at 5:00 am BST

Passengers face another day of disruption on Britain’s railways on Saturday as train crews stage a 24-hour strike immediately after Friday’s action by drivers.

Ministers again urged unions to put sub-inflation pay offers to their members, but Labour said the government had “guaranteed a weekend of chaos” by refusing to hold talks.

Many more trains will run than yesterday but most networks will see a very limited service as RMT members at 14 train operating companies in England walk out.

A large number of smaller stations from the north to the south-east will close while in many places trains will stop running by 7pm.

In Wales and Scotland, where unions are not in dispute, only cross-border services will be affected.

Unions have denied targeting tonight’s Eurovision final, when thousands of people will travel to Liverpool for an event hosted on behalf of Ukraine.

Merseyrail, which is not affected by strikes, is running services but intercity trains will terminate earlier.

The RMT said that Saturday was chosen as it was the last remaining date legally allowed under their existing strike mandate. Members have now voted to keep striking for another six months if necessary.

Mick Whelan, the Aslef general secretary, said yesterday he had been unaware that Eurovision had semi-finals which would be affected by strikes, but added: “If somebody can name me a day where there’s not an event that isn’t going to get a hit at some point if there’s any form of disruption, I’d love to know.”

The rail minister Huw Merriman again urged the RMT and Aslef leadership to put the pay offers to a full vote, but unions have accused the government of hampering a deal.

Whelan said they “neither had hide nor hair from the government that are meant to be facilitating and aiding these talks” since a meeting with Merriman on 6 January. The transport secretary, Mark Harper, has not met unions this year.

The RMT general secretary, Mick Lynch, said earlier this week that the government had tied the hands of the railway companies and prevented them from offering a fair deal.

The Rail Delivery Group, representing train operators, has said it was “blindsided” by the RMT rejecting its last offer, which it claimed had been agreed by both sides in the negotiating room.

Labour’s shadow transport secretary, Louise Haigh, said it was “staggering that complacent ministers haven’t held any talks to avert this disruptive strike action”.

“The Conservatives’ irresponsible approach is guaranteeing a weekend of chaos, and it’s the public will pay the price.”

Trains will also be disrupted over the next week, the industry has warned, due to an overtime ban brought in across 15 operating companies by Aslef from 15-20 May inclusive. Rail firms have warned it could mean more cancellations and delays, and could particularly affect passengers travelling in and out of London.

Two further strikes are planned by drivers on 31 May and 3 June, the date of the FA Cup final.