Your Local London
Text your news or pictures to 80360 starting message with LOCAL. click here for details »
Travel chaos as rail workers strike
7:09am Tuesday 7th October 2008
Thousands of rail passengers in Scotland are facing travel misery as signal workers stage the first of two strikes this week.
Network Rail workers will walk out for 24 hours from noon and are set to strike again on Thursday from the same time.
Services will wind down after the morning rush-hour, hitting all major routes north of the border.
Last-ditch talks aimed at averting the action collapsed on Monday after a failure to reach agreement on a dispute over staff rosters.
The Rail Maritime and Transport (RMT) union and Network Rail could not resolve the row despite hours of negotiations.
Around 450 workers are set to strike in the action, which will stretch over four days. Operator First ScotRail has warned journeys will be "severely disrupted".
As well as the strike, a ban on overtime and rest-day working starts.
Thousands of passengers will face cancellations or disruptions as hundreds of journeys are cut.
Services on the major commuter route between Edinburgh and Glasgow will be reduced by around half.
The journeys of people returning home Tuesday night will be hampered, and the disruption will continue during Wednesday morning's rush-hour.
Editor's Choice
Banking Bill leads Queen's Speech
Gordon Brown has presented a slimmed-down legislative programme for the coming year in a Queen's Speech focusing tightly on measures to help Britain through the economic downturn.
Health boss 'expects' child protection review
A HEALTH chief has written to local NHS organisations and urged them to review their child protection procedures, in the wake of the death of Baby P.
WALTHAMSTOW: Woman forced to live with gaping hole in ceiling
A TEENAGE tenant has had to tolerate a large hole in her kitchen ceiling for seven months.
Librarygate: Council opened "ghost libraries" to fool inspectors
Scheming Lambeth Council conned Government inspectors to protect its position as London’s most improved council, then tried to cover it up.
Bexley Council care cuts to hit 2,000
UP to 2,000 vulnerable people who were receiving their home care through Bexley Council are likely to have their help withdrawn.
REDBRIDGE: Man arrested in 'Christmas crackdown'
A MAN from Redbridge has been arrested as part of a London-wide police operation to crackdown on commercial robberies in the run-up to Christmas.
Speaker faces MPs after search row
Commons Speaker Michael Martin is preparing for a showdown with MPs furious over the Scotland Yard raid on Damian Green's parliamentary office.
Network Rail workers will walk out for 24 hours from noon
In this section
Sponsored Links
Local Information
Enter your postcode, town or place name
