Talks after commuters hit by rail walkout

Industrial action by members of the Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) union affected thousands of commuters yesterday, as train services were cut across the country to cope.

RMT members at Arrive Trains North in Yorkshire, plus Southern Railway and Merseyrail, were striking in a row over proposed changes to staffing as new trains are introduced.

And last night the union said it would hold discussions today over the next step, following one of the biggest days of industrial action since train services were privatised in the 1990s.

An RMT spokesman told The Yorkshire Post: “The situation will be reviewed by the executive of the union and they will decide what the next course of action will be.”

In Yorkshire, fewer than half of Northern’s rail services were running during the strike.

Theresa May’s spokesman said last night that the Prime Minister was “disappointed... that once again the RMT are disrupting passengers across the country”.

The spokesman said: “These strikes are unnecessary. The RMT should return to talks and help deliver the high-quality rail services that passengers deserve.”

Northern and Merseyrail plan to introduce new, driver-operated trains in the coming years to replace ageing rolling stock. The RMT, which is opposed to driver-only trains, said yesterday had been “highly successful”, with support from its members and the public.

Commuters feel strain: Page 6.