Rail strikes: Worcester braced for third day of train disruption

There will be no trains running from stations around the county today (Thursday, June 23) and picket lines are expected at Worcester Shrub Hill.

Nationally, around 40,000 members of the Rail, Maritime and Transport Union (RMT) and 13 operators, including two that operate in Worcestershire - West Midlands Railway and GWR, are involved in the industrial action.

RMT bosses were meeting with National Rail and train companies yesterday as the dispute over jobs, pay and conditions continues, with a third strike planned for Saturday.

Follow our live blog following the third day of disruption here.

RMT general secretary Mick Lynch said the turnout at picket lines on Tuesday was “fantastic” and had exceeded expectations in the union’s campaign for job security, defending conditions and a decent pay rise.

He said: “Our members will continue the campaign and have shown outstanding unity in the pursuit of a settlement to this dispute.

Passengers at Foregate Street are being advised to only travel if necessary (Image: Phil Wilkinson-Jones, Newsquest)

“Now is the time to stand up and fight for every single railway worker in this dispute that we will win.”

Disruption continued in Worcestershire yesterday despite it not being a strike day, as the knock-on effect of the strikes meant many services still weren’t running.

Trains between Birmingham and Worcester cancelled

Trains on the Worcester to Birmingham Snow Hill line, operated by West Midlands Railway, have been cancelled for the whole week and will only resume on Sunday (June 26).

READ MORE: Day one of Worcestershire's railway strike in pictures

The company has advised passengers to only travel if it’s essential and to expect severe delays.

Some GWR services were running yesterday including trains between Shrub Hill and Great Malvern, and services to London Paddington.

The cafe on the platform at Shrub Hill is closed this week

Shrub Hill station was quiet when we visited yesterday (Wednesday, June 22) and a taxi driver confirmed that’d been the case all day, adding that he hadn’t had a single fare on Monday.

Foregate Street station was a little busier with passengers heading to Malvern, Hereford, London and Weymouth, but only one platform was in use.

A Department for Transport spokesperson said the strikes hadn’t had the impact union bosses may have hoped for because so many people have the opportunity to work from home.