Travel chaos for rail passengers

Travel chaos for rail passengers

Central Trains aims to operate around 25% of its services

Train passengers in the West Midlands are facing another day of misery as guards belonging to the biggest rail union stage the third in a series of 24-hour strikes.

The strike, on what is part of a long-running dispute between the RMT union and train companies over the safety role of guards.

Twelve train companies, including Central Trains, Virgin West Coast, Virgin CrossCountry, Midlands Mainline and Silverlink, are all affected by the industrial action.

The strike comes on the eve of the Easter holiday, traditionally one of the busiest times of the year.

Trained managers

But a spokesman for the Association of Train Operating Companies said companies are hoping to operate between 75% and 95% of services despite the strike.

In the West Midlands, Central Trains aims to operate around 25% of its normal services while Virgin expects 80% of West Coast services between Birmingham and London to run.

Virgin CrossCountry says it will run 60% of trains but Silverlink services between Birmingham and Northampton will not run.

Trained managers will step in and take over guards' duties.

But a spokesman for the RMT said the managers are not adequately trained and the train companies should not be running services.

"The managers they are bringing in are hastily and inadequately trained.

"If there are no adequately-trained guards operating, the train companies really ought not to be running any services."