Talks follow Sunday services rail travel chaos

Mon Sep 7 2009 08:56:35

Rail company bosses will meet unions later this week to discuss the disruption caused by London Midland cancelling all but one of its services yesterday.

Thousands of passengers suffered delays and disruptions to their journeys after the company axed all its trains except those on the Birmingham to Liverpool line.

London Midland, which operates more than 1,200 services a day, was criticised after revealing its drivers usually work on a voluntary basis on Sundays and not enough staff volunteered to work yesterday.

An agreement where drivers were paid double to work on Sundays ended last weekend, but the Rail Maritime and Transport Union insisted workers were not taking organised action.

General Secretary Bob Crow said it was simply a case of staff exercising their contractual right not to work on Sunday.

A Department for Transport spokesman said: "We will be discussing this matter with London Midland shortly."

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