Rail strike: All quiet again at Telford Central
Telford Central Railway Station was very quiet on Thursday as the second day of strike action took place.
The ticket office was closed to passengers and there were very few people around, though some were using the adjacent bus station to access services.
A further strike is planned for Saturday, with disruption expected across England, Scotland and Wales on other days due to the time it takes to restore a normal service. On Wednesday only Transport for Wales were running services at Telford Central, with no services from West Midlands Trains or Arriva.
David Taylor, from Wellington, was trying to get a train home today from Telford Central and didn't realise the trains were on strike.
He said: "I don't use the trains very often to be honest and I had heard there were going to be strikes this week but wasn't sure which days. It is a bit of an inconvenience but probably not as much as it would be for people who need to get to work or important meetings."
Andrew Yates, who lives in Priorslee, said he was prepared for the strike and hadn't planned to get a train this week; he was getting buses or lifts to work instead.
But as Prime Minister Boris Johnson branded the strikes 'unnecessary' and said 'sensible reforms' were needed, news came that more railway workers are to vote on strikes, threatening fresh disruption in the industry throughout the summer.
The Transport Salaried Staffs Association (TSSA) served notice on Thursday to ballot dozens of members at TransPennine Express (TPE), which runs trains across northern England and Scotland, for strike action and action short of a strike in a dispute over pay, conditions and job security.
Although trains will be running again at Telford on Friday, West Midlands Railway warned passengers to 'plan ahead.'
A statement on its website said: "Due to the knock-on impact of the strike, a very limited service will also be running on Friday 24 June 2022.
"Our advice to customers is to only travel during this time if your journey is essential and you have no other means of transport available. If you do travel, expect severe disruption, plan ahead and check your entire journey."
