Rail strike: Mayor of West Yorkshire urges Government to support railways

Speaking yesterday (Tuesday) after the first of three days of strike action taking place this week, Tracy Brabin said: “Rail passengers in West Yorkshire have felt the impact of industrial action on our services at weekends since the beginning of the year, with cuts to popular services.

"These strike days will affect services across our region, with temporary timetables and limited services running for the rest of the week.

“Railway staff at all levels deserve a decent wage, but I do recognise that this strike will cause considerable disruption to people trying to travel in and around our region.

“It’s vital that Government – who own Network Rail and manage the new contracts under which rail services run – supports our railways.

"They need to invest in our railways to enable it to grow, modernising its infrastructure, so the whole country benefits.

“But Government seem determined to cut the costs of our railways at a time when support is still required.

"Modernisation is needed, but this needs to be discussed and negotiated carefully with staff and unions rather than creating confrontation and division.”