Passengers face weekend rail disruption over strike

Passengers across Merseyside could face rail disruption over the weekend due to planned strike action.

Members of the RMT union working for Merseyrail are expected to walk out between Saturday and Monday after their demands for a 4% pay increase for 2026 were rejected, the operator said.

It said it sent a revised offer worth 7.25% over two years, backdated to January 2026, which is now being considered. The outcome of a member ballot will be determined on Friday.

The BBC has approached the RMT for comment.

Merseyrail said it hoped RMT members would support the revised offer and disruption could be avoided.

The operator said it carries about 90,000 passengers, and runs more than 600 trains every week day.

But if strike action does go ahead, it said it would only be able to operate a very limited train service, with only the Southport line open on Saturday and Sunday.

On Monday, it plans to operate a limited service across the network between 10:00 and 19:00 BST.

"While strike action has been called, our hope is that RMT members will support the revised offer currently being considered," said managing director Neil Grabham.

"With members currently voting on the new offer, I very much hope we can avoid disruption and continue to provide the service our customers expect during such an important weekend for the city region."

It added that it would prioritise services to support those travelling to The Open golf championship in Southport.

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