Live updates: Train strike in Birmingham - first day of RMT industrial action

We asked West Midlanders what they thought about the train strike ahead of today’s industrial action. There was quite a mixed response from people on the street with some showing support for the RMT members - despite the disruption it is causing to everyday life. What do you think about the industrial action?

A rail traveller has told how they have been charged and admin fee after their train was cancelled due to the strikes. Seems a bit unfair!

Here’s what they said on Twitter

Here’s what the politicians are saying about the train strike - with Opposition Labour Leader Sir Keir Starmer claiming that PM Boris Johnson wants to the strike to go ahead so that he can “feed off division”. Is that a fair comment? Let us know what you think

Rail companies have put on replacement bus services at Birmingham New Street - but not all passengers are happy about this. Five people were seen boarding a replacement bus service outside the station for the 9.24am service to Bristol Temple Meads.

One man, asked for a comment on the strikes as he boarded the coach, while weighed down with a fully-laden camping rucksack, replied “half of what I said wouldn’t be fit to print in a newspaper”.

However, another man passing the nearby picket line said to striking workers “well done everyone, solidarity. Well done”.

There are fears that industrial action could continue after the three days already planned this week - today, Thursday and Saturday.

With Birmingham’s biggest ever event - the Commonwealth Games - on the horizon people have already asked if this could be disrupted. Thousands are expected to visit the city for the Birmingham 2022 Games and a billion are due to watch it televised across the world.

The issue was discussed at a recent full council meeting with Birmingham City Council Leader Cllr Ian Ward saying: “We’ve been talking to the Commonwealth Games Organising Committee and Transport for West Midlands and contingencies are being put in place for the possibility of strikes during the Games.

“We very much hope that doesn’t happen, but if there is disruption on the railways we will do our best to put mitigating measures in place to ensure people can go to and from the city and Games venues.”

The RMT isn’t the only union calling on members to go out on strike. Yesterday it was announced that the Criminal Bar Association had voted to walk out with strikes planned next week at courts across the country, including Birmingham Crown Court. Full story here https://www.birminghamworld.uk/news/barristers-vote-to-go-on-strike-at-birmingham-crown-court-3738582

Boris Johnson told a meeting of the Cabinet that reforms were needed on the railways.

“We need the union barons to sit down with Network Rail and the train companies and get on with it,” he said.

“We need, I’m afraid, everybody, and I say this to the country as a whole, we need to get ready to stay the course.

“To stay the course, because these reforms, these improvements in the way we run our railways are in the interests of the travelling public, they will help to cut costs for farepayers up and down the country.”

But the modernisation programme was also in the interests of workers because “if we don’t do this, these great companies, this great industry, will face further financial pressure, it will go bust and the result will be they have to hike up the cost of tickets still further”.

That would result in the “disaster” of declining rail use, he warned.

Boris Johnson told his top ministerial team the strike was causing “significant disruption and inconvenience up and down the country”.

They were making it “more difficult for people to get to work, risking people’s appointments, making it more difficult for kids to sit exams – all sorts of unnecessary aggravations”.

He set out why he believed the strikes were “so wrong and so unnecessary”, pointing to the levels of support offered to the industry during the pandemic and the “colossal” investment in rail infrastructure.

“We believe in our railways, we believe in our railway infrastructure as a vital part of levelling up across the country,” he said.

One person at Birmingham New Street told our video journalist, Richard Gullick, how her job interview had been affected by the train strike.

Steph said: “I was due to have a job interview today, but sadly the person who was due to do it couldn’t come, so we’ve got to reschedule for another day, which is a bit disappointing. But heyho, life happens.”

The AAs traffic monitoring service reported congetion around the M6 near Birmingham this morning. Events across the country, including Glastonbury, are being hit by the rail strike. Here’s a look at the situation on the roads across the country https://www.birminghamworld.uk/news/rail-strike-traffic-disruption-map-of-road-disruption-hotspots-3739078