People are warning of being "stranded" as all Arriva buses and a huge number of trains will be cancelled as strike action continues.
The ongoing Arriva bus strike will collide with a 24-hour national rail walkout today (Wednesday, July 27), impacting the majority of major transport operators services across the region.
There has been no breakthrough in a dispute between Arriva and the Unite and GMB unions which has seen continuous strikes held since last Wednesday. During each day of the industrial action there will be no Arriva bus services operating anywhere within Merseyside, with the exception of the Liverpool Clatterbridge Hospital shuttle service.
READ MORE: Man drives wrong way down M62 with four flat tyres
The action means there are also no services in Greater Manchester, Lancashire or Cheshire, except for local Macclesfield services which will all run with the exception of service 38. The dispute is over pay and conditions for workers.
The strikes have divided the opinion of ECHO readers, with many praising staff for standing up for themselves, while others are frustrated.
Tracey Cosgrove said: "Fully support. Need more Trade Unionists fighting for better pay and working conditions."
Chris Williams said: "About time we all stood together in all jobs and get a decent rise like we all deserve."
Amanda Jayne Proctor said: "I guess all you commenting have a car or other means of transport in my town Arriva bus is the only one we use so we are all stranded can't get to hospital or doctor appointments or even do shopping lots of the people are pensioners so we are all stranded."
Karen Poynton said: "NHS staff getting 4.5% pay rise. If they turned round and said we’re not seeing any patients, there would be an uproar. They’re being offered more money than them."
Arriva says it believes it has offered a fair pay rise of 8.5%, but the UNITE union said the issues have 'fermented' over a long period of time for workers. The national rail strike, organised by the Rail and Maritime Transport Workers Union (RMT), saw three days of walk-outs across the national network last month.
Tomorrow the RMT will continue its action in its fight for a better pay deal to try and help workers keep up with the cost of living. A similar number of workers are set to walk-out, impacting services all over the country.
A large number of operators which travel in and our of our region will be severely impacted, including Northern, Transpennine Express, Avanti West Coast, Transport for Wales and East Midlands Railway. Affected operators are urging people not to travel at all on the railways for the duration of the 24-hour strike and for those who must, to plan carefully as services will be hugely reduced.
Only two trains per hour will depart from Liverpool Lime Street Station - compared to around 10 an hour on non-strike days. Liverpool Lime Street's last trains will leave between 3pm and 5pm with final arrivals by 6.30pm.
Merseyrail staff are not part of today's 24-hour strike action, but the inter-region network will still be impacted because of the walk-out by Network Rail signalling and maintenance staff. During the last action in June, the entire Merseyrail network shut down for three days, but the operator says it expects to be able to run a limited service today.
Merseyrail confirmed an hourly service will run at selected stations only between 7.30am and 6.30pm to help passengers make essential journeys. There will be no rail replacement buses on strike days and people are urged to make alternative travel arrangements.
Here's how you can access rail services today:
- Chester & Ellesmere Port line – There will be no trains from Chester or Ellesmere Port. Trains will start at Rock Ferry. It will call at Rock Ferry, Birkenhead Central, Hamilton Square, Moorfields and Liverpool Central.
- New Brighton line – Trains will start at New Brighton and call at Wallasey Grove Road, Birkenhead North, Birkenhead Park, Hamilton Square, Moorfields and Liverpool Central.
- West Kirby line – Trains will start at West Kirby and call at Meols, Moreton, Leasowe, Birkenhead North, Birkenhead Park, Hamilton Square, Moorfields and Liverpool Central.
- Southport line - Trains will start at Southport and will call at Formby, Blundellsands and Crosby, Waterloo, Moorfields and Liverpool Central.
- Ormskirk line – Trains will start at Ormskirk and will call at Maghull, Aintree, Kirkdale, Moorfields and Liverpool Central.
-
Kirkby line – Trains will start at Kirkby and will call at Fazakerley, Rice Lane, Kirkdale, Moorfields and Liverpool Central.
- Hunts Cross line - no services will run.
The full timetable can be found here. Merseyrail confirmed that on Thursday, July 28, trains will be reintroduced from 7am when the 24-hour strike ends. There are no rail replacement bus services for the early morning disruption due to lack of availability, but a normal, full train service will resume from 7.30am across the Merseyrail network.
READ NEXT:
Sister of Haydn Griffiths explains what happened in TV interview
Floral tributes left to 'one in a million' friend found dead on train tracks
Delamere Forest blaze confirmed as 'accidental' due to 'extreme' weather
Major road closed as work underway on new £80m train station
Merseyside train strike to cause transport chaos as Arriva buses are still off
