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As we predicted, the RMT has sunk to a new low by inflicting their strikes on the Grand National. Damaging the company and its passengers is one thing, but damaging the whole of the Liverpool city region on one of its proudest and most important days of the year is impossible to understand.

Jan Chaudhry-van der Velde

Merseyrail’s managing director

The RMT has announced that its guards’ members will strike on Saturday 8 April, the high point of the Grand National, a global event attracting tens of thousands of people from the city region and beyond.

Jan Chaudhry-van der Velde, Merseyrail’s managing director, said:

‘As we predicted, the RMT has sunk to a new low by inflicting their strikes on the Grand National. Damaging the company and its passengers is one thing, but damaging the whole of the Liverpool city region on one of its proudest and most important days of the year is impossible to understand. It cannot be right that the RMT executive, sitting in London, has taken an unnecessary decision that represents a barefaced attack on the reputation of our region.

‘The Saturday of the Grand National is one of our busiest times of the year, and we will make every attempt to ensure that we successfully move around the high volumes of people who choose to travel with us that day. Timetables for the day are currently being developed and will be published very soon.

‘We have put forward firm proposals about how we will look after our guards, who, subject to successful negotiations with the RMT, are being guaranteed work in the business, once the new trains are introduced in three years’ time.’

Read more about strike action and the new Merseyrail trains here