Rail strikes resume but Rugby has limited service today, Tuesday

Members of the RMT union opposite the main entrance to Rugby station this morning, Tuesday, January 3.

The national advice is for people not to travel by train unless absolutely necessary but a skeleton service is running from Rugby to Euston and to the West Midlands – though there is an early finish and few people seemed to be taking the risk when the Advertiser went along for a closer look.

RMT members will strike again tomorrow, Wednesday, then again on Friday and Saturday – with a different union, Aslef, which represents train drivers, on strike on Thursday, making a solid block of five days of planned action.

The action by drivers could mean no trains at all on Thursday but today, Tuesday, there is a sparse service from the two passenger companies that servce Rugby – Avanti West Coast and London Northwestern Railway.

One of the notices on display at Rugby station highlighting the early finish to the limited train service running today, Tuesday, December 3.

RMT members have been out on picket lines across the country and secretary-general Mick Lynch told Sky News this morning: “I don't think we're losing public support. We're getting massive support from people online, in person, on our picket lines.

"And even when our members are at work on non-strike days the travelling public is telling us they support us.

"They want a decent railway that’s run in their interests and they don’t want this inaction from the government and profiteering from the private sector railway.”

He said he looked towards a settlement that would get the situation resolved.