More travel misery with deadlocked talks sparking further train strikes as summer getaway begins
Millions of Britons could face travel disruption today as rail strikes continue on one of the busiest travel days of the year.
The continued deadlock between railway unions and the government over pay and conditions will see some parts of the UK having no train services at all, with the RMT holding walkouts.
There is also further disruption from train drivers in the ASLEF union, which has banned its members from taking overtime.
The dispute has deepened in recent weeks too over proposals around the closing of every ticket office in the UK.
Staff will be moved from the offices and onto concourses and platforms, the Rail Delivery Group (RDG) says, but unions fear more than 2,000 jobs will be axed.
But the latest strike action comes as the school summer holidays begin, with travel firm ABTA warning more than two million holidaymakers are expected to escape abroad his weekend.
On Friday as schools broke up, more than 20,000 passed through the Port of Dover with officials warning it could take up to two and a half hours to pass through border checks during peak hours.
Earlier in the year, vehicles were delayed at the port by up to 14 hours as border guards struggled to cope with the volume of traffic crossing on to the continent.
It is expected hundreds of thousands of people will travel out of Heathrow and Gatwick over the coming days, with around 200,000 travelling from Manchester, and a further 71,000 from Bristol, ABTA said.
The Met Office has also warned of travel disruption as downpours start today, with a risk of thunderstorms on Sunday.
It predicts the first two weeks of the holidays will be a washout, but suggests there are signs that indicate the weather could start to become more settled during the second week of August.
Traffic in Dover on 21 July
Rail strike action has cost around £620m since June 2022, according to the RDG.
It said in a statement: “This has stalled its post-pandemic recovery and threatens its long-term sustainability, pushing the industry in to a spiral decline and risking consequences like cuts to services to make up the shortfall. Revenue levels are still 30% below pre-pandemic levels.
“The strikes have hit the wider economy – particularly sectors still recovering from the impact of the pandemic which employ hundreds of thousands of people.”
Read more:
Train strikes – Full list of July dates, Tube and rail services affected by industrial action
RMT’s Mick Lynch insists rail strikes ‘have been a success’
RMT general secretary Mick Lynch said his union was still waiting for an invitation to get back to the negotiating table.
“We’ve been on strike for over a year, this campaign’s probably been running for two years,” he said.
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‘We don’t want people to be disrupted’
Mr Lynch added: “The issues are the same. They’re attacking our jobs. They’re making redundancies. They’re closing services.
“We haven’t had a pay rise for four years and the people that remain, they want to cut our conditions and issue new contracts of employment.
“There is not an agreement in sight at the moment, but we remain available for negotiation with the companies and with the government, but that’s up to them to invite us back to the table so that we can work up some solutions to the dispute.”
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.”
A 31-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of murder after an elderly couple died following a fire at their home in St Helens.
Peter Eric Greener, 77, known as Eric, and his partner Sheila Jackson, 83, were caught in the blaze at their home on South John Street in the early hours of Tuesday.
Mr Greener died on Wednesday, while Ms Jackson died on Thursday.
Eric Greener. Pic: Merseyside Police
Sheila Jackson. Pic: Merseyside Police
Merseyside Police said an accelerant was used to start the fire.
On Sunday, the force said the suspect from St Helens had been arrested on suspicion of murder and remains in custody for questioning.
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Detective Superintendent Rachel Wilson said: “Although an arrest has been made, I would like to take this opportunity to remind people to pass on information directly to police or anonymously via Crimestoppers, and not to comment or post in any way which jeopardises this ongoing work.”
DS Wilson said “extensive enquiries” continue.
She added: “And to that end we are still appealing for anyone with information to come forward, particularly if you live in the area of South John Street and recall seeing or hearing anything suspicious at around the time of the incident.
“Please do not assume what you know has already been reported to us, as we can quickly make that assessment.”
UK
How e-bike riders are doing double the speed limit – and many of them work for fast food delivery firms
It’s lunchtime on Birmingham’s New Street.
Close to its many restaurants, food delivery riders are congregating on their bikes.
The area is packed with shoppers and workers.
PC Paige Gartlan is approaching with other officers. She’s on the lookout for illegally modified e-bikes – and she knows she’ll find them here.
“You can physically tell by looking at the bike that it’s generally going to be illegal – the battery pack is taped on to the sides and generally the size of the motor that’s on the back wheel,” she explains.
Sky News has been invited on an operation by West Midlands Police to find these bikes and get them off the streets.
PC Gartlan has been hit by one before. She’s had to tackle a rider to the floor after he drove into her.
Within minutes, she’s spotted a suspicious-looking bike. The rider makes a run for it – followed by plain-clothed officers.
PC Gartlan tests the bike – it’s showing a top speed of 52km/hr on the speedometer – just over 30mph.
PC Paige Gartlan with a seized e-bike
The speed limit for e-bikes in the UK is 15.5mph when using electric power for assistance.
I look up the street and another two riders have been detained. In less than an hour, officers have confiscated four bikes – all were being ridden by fast food delivery drivers.
The commotion is attracting a lot of attention.
“They are dangerous,” Sandra, who has just finished work, tells me.
Demoz had his bike taken by police
She’s stood watching the riders being questioned. She says she’s had near-misses herself and is worried for the safety of the elderly and children.
It’s not just West Midlands police officers here – immigration officials are carrying out checks too. They’re involved in a nationwide operation, which has seen more than 7,000 arrests in the last year – a 50% increase on last year.
Matthew Foster, the immigration enforcement lead officer for the West Midlands, tells me they’ve already found one individual who has entered the UK unlawfully.
“He’s been detained,” he says, “to affect his removal from the UK.”
Further down the street, police are loading illegally modified bikes on to a van – they’re destined to be crushed. One of them had belonged to Demoz.
Read more:
Non-folding e-bikes banned on London Tube
E-bike and e-scooter crimes soar 730% in five years
An e-bike seized by West Midlands Police
He’s on his way home, carrying a big box with the logo of one of the main fast food delivery firms on it.
He tells me he used to have an illegal bike, but he thought his new one was legal.
“I make a mistake, I have to say sorry, I will do better for the future,” he says.
I get in touch with the big delivery firms; Deliveroo, Uber Eats, and Just Eat.
Their representatives say they constantly remind workers of their safety obligations, and that they’re all working closely with the government to increase security checks on riders.
As he leaves, Demoz, now bike-free, tells me he’s thinking of changing his job.
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