Fresh disruption for rail passengers in guards' dispute

Credit: PA

Rail passengers have been warned there will be a limited service on Saturday because of the first of a fresh wave of strikes in the long-running dispute over guards on trains.

Merseyrail said services will call at selected stations across the network between around 7am and 7pm, with a short break in the middle of the day. All trains will run with six carriages.

There will be no services on Merseyrail's Kirkby and Hunts Cross lines and services will start and terminate at Hooton station on the Chester and Ellesmere Port lines.

Members of the Rail, Maritime and Transport union will stage six 24-hour strikes between Saturday and October 4.

RMT general secretary Mick Cash said:

Merseyrail managing director Andy Heath said:

RMT members on South Western Railway will strike for four days from August 30 in the same dispute, causing disruption on busy commuter routes into London Waterloo.

Meanwhile, RMT members on London Underground's Central and Victoria lines will strike for 24 hours from 8pm on September 3 in a separate row over industrial relations.