24-hour rail strike to go-ahead on Sunday

A strike is also scheduled to take place over the bank holiday weekend at the end of the month between Saturday 29 and Monday August 31.

Failed talks between the firm and the Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) will see members of the union walk out at 12.01am on Sunday.

The first Hitachi trains will run on the Great Western main line from 2017 and the East Coast main line from 2018.

The strike is likely to hit thousands of commuters returning to work on Monday (Aug 24), along with holidaymakers, after further union talks broke down yesterday (Thursday).

RAIL USERS will be affected on Sunday as a strike by workers at First Great Western is set to go ahead this weekend after talks failed to resolve a row over new trains.

The strike by First Great Western staff, which is said to be over the introduction of Hitachi Inter City trains and threats to jobs, begins at midnight on Saturday.

The two parties have held “positive discussions” over the past few days, but FGW representatives have said it looks likely the strike will go ahead.

“As a result the action this Sunday goes ahead”.

“The new InterCity trains are going to be part of the new improved Great Western service which will benefit us all”.

At least half of the intercity services will be cancelled with one train an hour between Paddington and Bristol, south Wales and the south west of England.

He said: “These trains are at the centre of our plans to deliver our network’s biggest fleet upgrade in a generation, helping create three million more seats a year and allowing us to bring you faster, more frequent journeys”.

They also held a 48-hour strike in July over the same issue.

“Our plans mean more train managers and customer hosts on board our trains, not less”.