York station is open, but very quiet. There are trains running here today, but fewer than usual. The first train – to London – left just after 08:00.
Some places nearby have no services; Scarborough, for example, is cut off by rail.
Kim Lee uses the train to commute regularly between York and
Leeds, but says he’s “fully supportive” of the strikes.
“I think the government need to get their act together and
get this sorted out rather than letting the country grind to a halt,” he
said. “I blame the government, not the unions.”
Another commuter, Charlotte Jones, said she has been very inconvenienced, and will have to get an hour-long bus journey home from work because trains will have stopped running by then.
On the picket line outside York station, RMT members who work in a variety of roles on board trains and at the station, are standing in front of their red and green flags.
They told me that for them, pay is just one part of the equation.
They worry that changes proposed under the offer made by the group representing train companies, mean their jobs are under threat and safety will be compromised.
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