Transport 'chaos' as crowds are left waiting at major train stations despite end of RMT rail strike
Passengers have been told to prepare for significantly disrupted travel into the new year amid the wave of industrial unrest, reports business and economics editor Joel Hills
Crowds of people were left waiting at major train stations across London and beyond amid ongoing disruption despite the end of a rail strike on Tuesday.
Photos showed hundreds of passengers packed inside King’s Cross and Paddington, with some journeys delayed due to the late handover of engineering works.
South Western Railway also apologised to customers after a service from Waterloo to Southampton was postponed due to a “train fault”.
Travel journalist Simon Calder said there was “chaos” at Paddington, with no trains having arrived or departed by 10am despite industrial action by the RMT union ending at 6am.
A Network Rail spokesperson said: “Services have been generally OK but we did have some disruption this morning at Paddington because of the late handover of some engineering works.”
It comes after passengers were told to prepare for “significantly disrupted” travel into the new year amid the wave of industrial unrest sweeping across the country.
The Network Rail warning came as members of the Transport Salaried Staffs’ Association (TSSA) at CrossCountry staged a 24-hour strike from 9pm on Boxing Day as part of a long-running campaign for a guarantee of no compulsory redundancies, no unagreed changes to terms and conditions, and a pay increase which addresses the rising cost of living.
The 48-hour walkout called by the RMT in a separate dispute over jobs, pay and conditions which began on Christmas Eve ended at 6am but disruption has continued.
The TSSA union believes that walkouts by staff will severely affect services at CrossCountry, which covers large swathes of the country, from Penzance to the Midlands, Wales and northern England through to Scottish cities as far north as Aberdeen.
Members of the union work in roles in customer service management, driver management, training, control, customer communications, safety, timetabling and planning.
TSSA members at Great Western Railway will strike from noon on Wednesday to 11.59am on Thursday, and at West Midlands Trains from noon on Wednesday to noon on Thursday.
Earlier TSSA organising director Nadine Rae said: “Our members at CrossCountry do not want to strike, especially over the Christmas holiday period, but they are sick and tired of being taken for granted.
“They deserve a pay rise to help manage the escalating cost of living, and they rightly demand job security.
“The company, like all the train operators under the control of the Department for Transport, need to face up to the fact that only serious offers which meet our aspirations will end this dispute.”
A Department for Transport spokesman said: “After two years of virtual Christmases, the British public deserve better than to have their festive celebrations impacted by strikes.
“The Transport Secretary and rail minister have worked hard to facilitate a fair and reasonable offer, which two unions have accepted, and it is incredibly disappointing that some continue to strike.
“We urge them to step back, reconsider and get back round the table, so we can start 2023 by ending this damaging dispute.”
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