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Three Queens Liverpool 2015: Merseyrail, Virgin Trains and Northern Rail to axe services on Monday a
Spectators eager to watch the spectacular Three Queens event in Liverpool could be facing transport chaos.
Merseyrail, Virgin Trains and Northern Rail all announced cancellations on Bank Holiday Monday.
Hundreds of thousands of people are looking forward to watching the the Three Cunard Queens – Queen Victoria, Queen Elizabeth and Queen Mary 2 – sail into Liverpool together marking the 175th anniversary of Cunard.
This spectacular will take place over May bank holiday, from Saturday, May 23 until Tuesday, May 26.
Merseytravel cancels trains after 6pm on Monday and all of Tuesday
But spectators learned today that services to and from Liverpool Lime Street on the City Line, run by Northern Rail on behalf of Merseytravel, will be “extremely limited” - with no services to St Helens, Wigan or Warrington all day Monday.
And Merseytravel is cancelling all trains after 6pm on Monday and has said there will be no trains at all on Tuesday because of the Network Rail strike, which involves signalling and maintenance workers needed to allow trains to run safely.
Virgin Trains axes West Coast Main Line service Monday and Tuesday
Virgin Trains is withdrawing all of its West Coast Main Line operations on Monday and Tuesday after Network Rail workers announced a national strike will take place.
It was announced last week that members of the Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) and TSSA unions had voted for strike action to take place for 24 hours from 5pm on Monday over Network Rail workers’ pay and conditions
Talks are ongoing between Network Rail and the unions in an attempt to reach an agreement before Monday.
Up until today travel operators had said they were monitoring the situation.
But now the three train companies have announced the cancellations and warned that even if an agreement is reached if it comes too late there may not be time to get services back on track.
A spokesman for Merseytravel said: “Even if the strike is called off, if it is after 11am on Sunday, there will still be significant disruption to rail services.”
More buses to run on "key routes"
Merseytravel says it will run a ‘strengthened’ bus and rail service on Sunday, when Queen Mary 2 will be in the city.
On Monday, Merseyrail will run more frequent and longer trains before 6pm but there will be no trains after this time.
More buses will be in service across Merseyside on “key routes”.
Services to and from Liverpool Lime Street on the City Line will be extremely limited all day, with no services to St Helens, Wigan or Warrington at all. There will be no services at all on the City Line past 5pm.
Merseytravel’s advice is: “If you’re local, consider staying local. The Three Queens will be a full waterfront and coastal spectacle with opportunities to view from Liverpool, Wirral and Sefton. Walking and cycling may be the fastest and easiest way to get to and from the event.”
The Three Queens will be visible from Wirral and Crosby at times as well as in Liverpool city centre.
There will be no Merseyrail or City Line services on Tuesday.
Virgin Trains has advised travellers there will be no services at all on Monday or Tuesday and to check before travelling on Sunday or Wednesday.
London Midland also runs services to Liverpool and has said it is still monitoring the situation.
Motorway Police warn to expect "major delays" on Monday
The North West Motorway Police issued advice this afternoon warning motorists to expect “major delays” on Monday and to plan your journey in advance.
Both Network Rail and the unions say they are hopeful an agreement can be reached which would allow them to call off the strike.
Mark Carne, chief executive of Network Rail, said: “We are continuing to talk with the unions and we believe there is a settlement to be had. I sincerely hope we can reach one and my team will be available all week, and into the weekend if necessary, to find a deal to prevent strike action.
“From the very start of negotiations we made clear that we want to reward our staff for the incredible job they do, but that any pay rise needs to be linked to smarter, more effective ways of working.”
RMT union: "We have been forced into this dispute"
RMT general secretary, Mick Cash, said: “RMT is continuing to push for a negotiated settlement through the ACAS talks and the union is available right the way through the weekend to keep that process going if necessary.
“In the meantime our picketing arrangements are in place and the response coming back from our members is one of rock solid support.
“We would remind the public that we have been forced into this dispute through a wholly unwarranted attack on safety-critical jobs, pay and working conditions that would seriously undermine the safety of passengers on our railways into the future.
“RMT members are standing up for the principle of a properly staffed and resourced railway where safety comes first and where corners aren’t cut to hit budget targets.”
Liverpool Mayor: "It would be unfortunate if the strike goes ahead"
Liverpool Mayor Joe Anderson said he is “hopeful” an agreement can be reached in time.
He told the Visiter: “It would be very unfortunate if the strike was to go ahead and we are talking to Network Rail and MerseyTravel about what will happen with arrangements. But it is disappointing that Virgin have released this statement while talks are still going on, and I am hopeful that the unions and Network Rail will be able to find a solution.”
Liz Chandler, Merseytravel’s director of corporate development, is optimistic the event will still be a success.
She said: “This event will make maritime history – a showcase event that the Liverpool City Region with its stunning backdrop is made for.
“While the strike will cause significant disruption, a whole host of organisations have been working together, as they have been over many months in the lead up to the event, to ensure we are responding to the challenge as best we can, strengthening services where possible and advising people of their alternative travel options.
“The message remains to plan carefully, be patient and prepare for queues.”
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