Commuters were warned not to delay their journeys home on Thursday night as the first in a renewed series of strikes caused major problems across the national rail network.
It came as Transport for London and union negotiators returned to the conciliation service Acas in a bid to avert a week of walkouts on the Tube, in an unrelated dispute that threatens to leave the Underground with “little or no service” for much of next week. Hopes of a breakthrough were said to be “touch and go”.
Action by the RMT over pay and working conditions on the mainline railways appeared to be regaining momentum in the wake of proposals to close more than 1,000 station ticket offices, including about 150 in London.
More than 100,000 responses have already been made to the passenger watchdogs London TravelWatch and Transport Focus. RMT general secretary Mick Lynch said his members were determined to fight plans for “mass redundancies”.
Today’s walkouts by RMT station staff and train crew affected 14 train companies, including Avanti West Coast, GoVia Thameslink and South Western Railway.
Fewer services than normal were running, and few trains were expected after 7pm. A similar situation is expected on Saturday and on Saturday next week. An overtime ban by Aslef drivers has also limited the number of trains that can be run.
Mr Lynch said 2,300 staff had received redundancy notices last week – despite a Government pledge that ticket office staff would be redeployed on station concourses.
He said the proposed ticket office closures had “galvanised a huge groundswell of public support”.
Mr Lynch told LBC radio: “They said in the House of Commons that no jobs would be made redundant. They said they’re taking people out from behind the glass to assist people. That’s not true. They’re taking them out from behind the glass and giving P45s and putting them on the dole.”
He claimed the rail dispute could “reach a conclusion soon” if the Government allowed the train companies to negotiate a revised pay offer with the unions.
Mr Lynch added: “We are negotiating today with London Transport [TfL] today at Acas to try and get progress on the issues that are affecting London Underground. If we can do that on the mainline railway, we will do that as well.”
RMT Tube station staff will hold “rolling” walkouts of different employees from Sunday until next Saturday. They will be joined by Aslef drivers on Wednesday and Friday.
TfL said the Tube would close early on Sunday evening and take longer than normal to open on Monday morning. There will be “little or no service” on Tuesday and Thursday and “no service” on Wednesday and Friday.
The Elizabeth line and London Overground will be open but some stations may be closed.
Finn Brennan, Aslef’s London organiser, told the Standard: “Aslef are prepared to keep talking all weekend if necessary, but we need clear assurances that our members’ pensions, working conditions and agreements will be protected if a shutdown is to be avoided.”
Muniya Barua, deputy chief executive at the business group BusinessLDN, said: “It’s essential that all parties come to the negotiating table and make a deal in order to prevent this summer being a wash out for London’s businesses, and a headache for Londoners and visitors.”
A Department for Transport spokesperson said: “The Government has met the rail unions, listened to them and facilitated improved offers on pay and reform. The union leaders should put these fair and reasonable offers to their members so this dispute can be resolved.”
