Rail strikes 'halve customer numbers' at pub as effects of industrial action are felt

But the strikes have, others say, also led to a boost in trade for some businesses.

“It is a challenging time for members of the chamber,” said Shropshire Chamber of Commerce chief executive Richard Sheehan. “The delivery of raw materials is affected and movement of staff is a serious issue.

“Staff can not get into work and face-to-face meetings are being cancelled because rail travel is not available.

“Businesses are having to adapt, again, to virtual meetings but they are not the same as meetings in person.”

Andy Hooper, from the Tap and Can, opposite Shrewsbury Railway Station, said pubs in the area had hit hard when strikes were held.

“Certainly at weekends, on previous strikes, it can practically half your business,” he said. “A lot of the pubs in this part of Shrewsbury rely on out-of-town trade and we are one of the first stop off points. It’s a reason we are in this location.

“We also run the Bird and Beer restaurant opposite and, again, it impacts on that because we get a lot of cancellations of bookings if people are travelling in by train. And there’s the double edge to that because if you suddenly end up with cancellations you can end up with more food wastage because you have ordered more groceries to support the bookings you originally had.”

Black Country Ales with sites in Shropshire at Albrighton, Newport, Shifnal and Shrewsbury said has suffered a substantial hit from the ongoing rail strikes. Spokesman Angus McMeeking said the strike had "without a shadow of a doubt" resulted in substantial lost sales, adding: "It is becoming a significant issue for us."

Dell Penlington, of Dells Taxis, based at Shrewsbury Rail Station, has been taxi driving for 11 years, and said there had been a ‘massive impact’ on his business.

“We are on the station rank, so we are simply not getting the footfall from the station and I’d say we are 40-50 per cent down on customers in that sense,” he said.

“Things are hard enough as it is so this is just another issue on top of that. It’s impacting massively everywhere and the longer it goes on the worse it is going to get.

“I feel for cafes and bars around the area too because they will be losing sales, even if it’s just a passenger buying a cup of coffee or tea. But I do also have sympathy for those who strike.”

Guy Hannaford, operational manager at ATP Brown Coaches in Telford, said his company had seen a small boost in business as a result of the strikes.

“We have had a few people that would have used a train come to us, such as for small parties.

“They might have been going somewhere and didn’t want to risk something happening with the timetable so have booked up a coach. It has not had a huge effect but there has been a small uptake.”

And Sally Themans, of Love Bridgnorth and Love Wellington, said over the Christmas period there had been positive feedback from traders in both towns, with strikes benefitting some businesses locally.

“Train strikes meant people didn’t go further afield and headed back to the High Street which is great news locally,” she said.