Train strikes: Passengers face second day of industrial action

Rail passengers look further question problems this play arsenic RMT national members onslaught again successful a long-running quality implicit wage and conditions.

Fourteen bid companies are affected, with immoderate moving lone constricted services.

The authorities says the RMT has turned down a "fair and reasonable" wage offer, but the national denies this.

RMT and Aslef unions person denied readying the strikes to coincide with the Eurovision Song Contest final.

Transport Secretary Mark Harper said the strikes were "cynically targeting" the final, taking spot successful Liverpool connected Saturday evening.

But the RMT said Saturday was chosen for a onslaught arsenic it was the past day allowed nether employment laws.

Train companies person warnedthere volition beryllium "little oregon nary services" crossed ample areas of the web and said passengers should beryllium prepared for disruption connected the days instantly aft the strikes.

The pursuing obstruction operators volition beryllium impacted:

Avanti West Coast, c2c, Chiltern Railways, CrossCountry, East Midlands Railway, Gatwick Express, Great Northern, GWR, Greater Anglia (including Stansted Express), Heathrow Express, LNER, London Northwestern Railway, Northern, South Western Railway, Southeastern, Southern, Thameslink, TransPennine Express, and West Midlands Railway.

Merseyrail, which operates trains astir Liverpool, said it was unaffected by the latest strikes and would tally precocious nighttime services.

Most bid companies travelling to and from Liverpool volition lone person a constricted work during Saturday arsenic a effect of the onslaught action, according to National Rail.

National Express said it had added 33 other services to Liverpool to assistance fans get to Eurovision.

The Rail Delivery Group (RDG), which represents 14 bid companies, said obstruction users should program up and cheque services earlier travel. It warned that with less services moving determination would beryllium "wide variations".

The RDG offered obstruction workers a backdated wage emergence of 5% for 2022.

A 2nd year's wage emergence was babelike connected reforms being negotiated.

Mr Harper has called connected the RMT to let its members to person a ballot connected the connection that the RDG has enactment forward.

But Mr Lynch said the RDG had "torpedoed" the talks aimed astatine ending the long-running quality due to the fact that statement would person prohibited further concern action.

Meanwhile, bid drivers with Aslef person rejected a two-year connection which would spot members person a backdated wage emergence of 4% for 2022 and a 4% summation this year.

However, determination has been immoderate solution betwixt the obstruction manufacture and the unions. A revised connection from Network Rail, which owns and operates the UK's railway infrastructure, was accepted by RMT members connected 20 March, ending that abstracted dispute.

Aslef drivers volition onslaught again connected 31 May and 3 June, the time of the FA Cup final.