Labour is warned: Rail strikes will kill

THERE are fears lives could be put at risk by nationwide rail strikes next week.

Cabinet minister Sajid Javid said the travel chaos will make it harder for frontline staff, including doctors and nurses, to get to work.

A senior NHS leader warned yesterday the industrial action will ‘probably end up killing people’ because it will exacerbate delays for ambulances.

Half of Britain’s rail services will shut down during the walkouts on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday next week, while those that do operate will run between 7.30am and 6.30pm only.

Travel on Wednesday, Friday and Sunday will also be badly affected due to the knock-on effects of the action by 40,000 members of the RMT union.

Scottish Government-owned ScotRail has said just 11 per cent of its current reduced timetable will operate on the strike days.

Just two trains per hour will run on the Edinburgh to Glasgow via Falkirk High line, on the EdinburghBathgate route, the Glasgow to Hamilton/Larkhall service and on the Glasgow to Lanark line.

In addition, there will be one train an hour running on the Edinburgh to Glasgow service that goes via Shotts – with services on the five lines only operating between 7.30am and 6.30pm on June 21, 23, and 25.

No trains will run on any other ScotRail routes during the three days of action.

Mr Javid yesterday warned the strike would ‘bring the nation to a standstill’ and ‘put patients at risk’.

In a letter to Labour health spokesman Wes Streeting, he said the disruption ‘will make it more difficult for doctors, nurses, carers, and other

‘Side with those causing misery’

healthcare staff to get into work’, and make it harder for patients to come in for treatment. Mr Javid criticised Mr Streeting for expressing sympathy for rail workers when he appeared on the BBC’s Question Time last week.

Writing last night, Mr Javid said: ‘It is... disappointing that you have so far chosen to side with those who are causing such misery.’

But in a reply to the letter, Mr Streeting last night wrote: ‘You seem to have mistaken me for the Secretary of State for Transport, who is the person with the power to prevent these strikes.’

Meanwhile, a senior NHS leader told the Health Service Journal yesterday: ‘Next week’s rail strikes will probably end up killing people because they’ll prevent ambulance trust staff getting to work.’

Downing Street last night insisted the Government was not ‘standing by’ while rail strikes loomed.