Travel misery for commuters despite cancellation of train strikes

‘Union bosses try to present themselves as reasonable, knowing full well they’ve inflicted maximum damage’

COMMUTERS can still expect travel chaos this week despite the planned rail strikes being called off.

The national union of Rail, Maritime and Transport workers (RMT) cancelled three days of strikes last Friday, the day before the walkouts were scheduled to begin.

However, millions of customers are still faced with disruption as operators struggle to unpick complex timetables at short notice.

It also comes as union bosses say they intend to press ahead with strikes across the London Underground tomorrow after failing to reach an agreement with Transport for London. Staff working for Network Rail and other train operators were to walk out last Saturday, on Monday and again today in a dispute over pensions, jobs and conditions.

Although the RMT suspended the industrial action, saying it had secured “unconditional” talks with Network Rail and the promise of a pay offer from the train operating companies, commuters are still suffering as a result.

Last night, Sir Mike Penning, a former transport minister, suggested that the unions had “manipulated” the timing of the cancellation to ensure workers could retain their pay while still causing “maximum” travel chaos. It comes days after The Daily Telegraph revealed unions had sat on a potential deal to call off the strikes for a week before they pulled the plug.

MP Greg Smith, who sits on the House of Commons transport select committee, agreed the last-minute call-off was “an act of gross manipulation”.

He said: “Union bosses want to try to present themselves as reasonable, knowing full well that they’ve inflicted maximum damage.”

Avanti West Coast, which runs services across London, Manchester, Birmingham and Glasgow, is continuing to run a reduced “strike service” today.

It will be the third day customers are punished following a skeleton timetable on Monday and cancelled trains yesterday morning.

The RMT insisted suspending scheduled strike action was “decided at the earliest opportunity”.

A Network Rail spokesman said: “Calling off the strikes, even at the 11th hour , was a positive move and we hope that a fortnight of intensive talks will see a breakthrough.”