Disruption to rail services across West Midlands as fresh strikes begin
Members of the drivers' union Aslef will walk out on Friday
Rail passengers in the West Midlands face fresh travel disruption over the next few days because of strike action.
Members of the drivers' union Aslef will walk out on Friday at more than a dozen train operators, in a long-running dispute over pay.
West Midlands Railway, Avanti West Coast, Great Western Railway and CrossCountry are among those affected.
Further strikes will be held on May 31 and June 3 - the day of the FA Cup final at Wembley.
Members of the Rail, Maritime and Transport union (RMT) will strike on Saturday - the day of the Eurovision Song Contest final in Liverpool.
Passengers are being urged to check before they travel on both days.
Aslef general secretary Mick Whelan said: "We do not want to go on strike - we do not want to inconvenience passengers, we have families and friends who use the railway too, and we believe in investing in rail for the future of this country.
"But the blame for this action lies, fairly and squarely, at the feet of the employers who have forced our hand over this by their intransigence.
"It is now up to them to come up with a more sensible, and realistic, offer and we ask the Government not to hinder this process.
"We are still prepared to negotiate in good faith but, unfortunately, as we have been unable to come to an agreement, we have had to consider industrial action."
Steve Montgomery, who chairs the Rail Delivery Group, said: "The upcoming rail strikes called by the Aslef and RMT leadership will not only affect our passengers' daily commute but will also impact those travelling from outside Liverpool and London to come to Eurovision and the FA Cup final, causing disappointment and frustration for those who have planned to attend.
"It will also further burden our people who have already lost thousands of pounds at a time of financial strain.
"We understand the impact of these strikes on individuals and businesses alike, and we can only apologise for this unnecessary and damaging disruption.
"While we are doing all we can to keep trains running, unfortunately there will be reduced train services across the network between Friday May 12 and Saturday June 3, so our advice is to check before you travel. Passengers with Advance tickets can be refunded fee-free if the train that the ticket is booked for is cancelled, delayed or rescheduled."
The Rail Delivery Group said that after many weeks of negotiations with the Aslef leadership it had made a "revised and fair offer" including a pay rise of 8% over two years.
"Sadly, this has been rejected," said a spokesperson.