NO main line trains in Cornwall as biggest rail strike for decades gets underway
Members of four trade unions are taking part in a day of action over pay
Last updated 1st Oct 2022
No main-line trains are running in Cornwall on Saturday 1st October, due to nationwide rail strikes.
Members of the RMT, Aslef, TSSA and Unite unions are walking out in the long-standing row over pay, jobs and conditions, including workers from Great Western Railway (GWR).
Passengers have been advised only to travel if necessary over the next 24hrs, with services set to be crippled across the UK.
Mick Whelan, General Secretary of Aslef, said his members are increasingly angry at the lack of progress in the dispute.
“We don't want to be on strike but this dispute will continue until the government lifts the shackles from the train companies.
"The message I am receiving from my members is that they want more industrial action, so I think more strikes are inevitable".
RMT general secretary Mick Lynch has written to Transport Secretary Anne-Marie Trevelyan, urging her to take "urgent steps to allow a negotiated settlement" after the union said latest figures showed railway bosses benefiting from government tax cuts.
Mr Lynch, who met Ms Trevelyan last month, wrote: "As you know, when we met, I described the meeting as 'positive' but the only public statement since then has been from the Chancellor during his fiscal event stating he will be bringing forward legislation to remove rail workers' right to strike.
"Despite our positive discussion, the Chancellor's intervention has made an already difficult dispute harder to resolve.
"I am also concerned the Government has recently been taking action that is lining the pockets of the 'railway rich' whilst rail workers continue to endure pay freezes and real-terms pay cuts.
"The privatised rail industry is largely dependent on tax-payer subsidy and the government is using this to support the railway rich".
A reduced timetable has been published, showing that just 11% of rail services will run on Saturday. Some areas will have no trains, including Cornwall.
Trains will start later in the morning and finish earlier in the evening and there will be no trains at all across large parts of the network.
Passengers have also been warned there is likely to be some disruption in the early morning of Sunday October 2nd as workers return.
Andrew Haines, Network Rail's chief executive, said: "Despite our best efforts to compromise and find a breakthrough in talks, rail unions remain intent on continuing and co-ordinating their strike action.
"This serves only to ensure our staff forgo even more of their pay unnecessarily, as well as causing even more disruption for our passengers and further damaging the railway’s recovery from the pandemic.
"Passengers who want to travel this Saturday, and indeed next Wednesday and next Saturday, are asked only to do so if absolutely necessary. Those who must travel should expect disruption and make sure they check when their last train will depart".
Read more: Cornwall rail workers to strike in row over pay
You can check the strike information for Cornwall on the GWR or CrossCountry websites.