Updated
9.35

Two
days
of
serious
railway
disruption
have
started,
as
the
RMT
stages
a
24-hour
strike
today
and
ASLEF
follows
tomorrow.

The
RMT
has
written
to
MPs
on
both
sides
of
the
house
in
a
fresh
bid
to
move
the
dispute
forward.

Nearly
all
English
National
Rail
operators
are
affected
by
the
latest
walkouts,
apart
from
Merseyrail.
However,
services
on
c2c
are
not
expected
to
change
very
much,
except
that
12-car
trains
will
not
be
able
to
call
at
Limehouse.

There
is
serious
disruption
on
other
lines,
where
services
have
been
sharply
reduced.
Many
local
lines
have
no
trains
at
all.
The
lack
of
trains
will
make
travelling
a
problem
for
thousands
of
people
trying
to
reach
several
major
events,
including
Saturday’s
FA
Cup
Final
at
Wembley,
the
England
v
Ireland
Test
match
at
Lord’s,
the
Epsom
Derby
and
a
Beyoncé
concert
at
the
Tottenham
Hotspur
stadium
in
north
London.

Trains
are
running
as
usual
on
the
ScotRail
and
Transport
for
Wales
networks,
but
intercity
services
from
England
to
both
those
countries
are
being
disrupted.
Some
Transport
for
Wales
services
are
also
being
affected
by
a
shortage
of
rolling
stock,
but
this
is
not
connected
with
industrial
disputes.

There
has
already
been
one
ASLEF
strike
this
week,
and
although
no
further
dates
have
been
announced
there
has
been
little
sign
of
progress
in
the
long-running
dispute
over
pay
and
conditions,
which
began
a
year
ago.

RMT
general
secretary
Mick
Lynch
has
written
to
all
MPs,
criticising
the
government
for
its
handling
of
the
dispute.

He
accuses
the
government
of
deliberately
‘squandering
billions
of
pounds
on
a
futile
war
against
the
rail
unions’
and
he
is
demanding
that
MPs
write
to
the
Prime
Minister
‘to
insist
the
government
facilitate
an
improved
offer
that “will
protect
staffing
and
services
and
deliver
a
fairer
deal
for
rail
workers’.

He
has
also
issued
a
new
message
to
RMT
members,
calling
them
to
continue
to
‘stand
firm’.

The
Rail
Delivery
Group
has
responded:‘There
have
been
three
pay
deals
offered
which
the
RMT
executive
have
reneged
despite
their
negotiators
in
the
room
agreeing
the
terms.
We’ve
said
all
along
we
just
want
railway
workers
to
have
their
say
on
the
fair
and
affordable
offer
of
up
to
a
13
per
cent
rise
over
two
years,
plus
guarantees
on
job
security.

‘While
their
rhetoric
continues,
this
is
merely
a
diversion
to
the
very
real
financial
challenge
the
industry
is
facing
with
taxpayers
still
shelling
out 
up
to
an
extra
£175
million
a
month
to
keep
the
trains
running
by
making
up
the
20
per
cent
shortfall
in
revenue
post-Covid.
The
only
way
to
afford
it
is
by
bringing
in
long
overdue,
common-sense
reforms
that
would
improve
services
and
punctuality
for
our
passengers.
In
most
cases,
these
simply
extend
best
practice
already
in
place
in
parts
of
the
network. 

‘The
RMT
leadership
must
recognise
the
way
our
passengers
use
the
railway
has
changed
for
good,
and
work
with
us
to
adapt
so
we
can​
secure
the
long-term
future
of
an
industry.
The
only
thing
they
have
achieved
is
continuing
to
take
money
out
of
their
members
pockets,
inflicting
misery
on
thousands
of
people
and
damaging
an
industry
which
is
vital
to
Britain’s
economy
and
their
own
members’
livelihoods.

‘We
urge
the
RMT
leadership
to
engage
seriously
with
the
financial
challenges
the
industry
faces,
agree
between
them
what
they
want
from
the
negotiation
and
come
back
to
the
table,
so
we
can
resolve
this
dispute
for
the
sake
of
everyone
who
relies
on
the
railway.’