Metro
Commuters stranded as UK hit by biggest rail strike in over 30 years
Travel across British railway stations ground to a halt Tuesday as widespread strike action billed as the biggest in more than three decades plunged commuters into chaos and persuaded many to stay at home.
The RMT rail union argues the strikes are necessary as wages have failed to keep pace with UK inflation, which has hit a 40-year high and is on course to keep rising.
Last-ditch talks to avert the work stoppage broke down Monday, prompting more than 50,000 RMT members to walk out.
But negotiations will resume Wednesday, the RMT announced. Network Rail, which looks after the country’s rail tracks, told AFP discussions would begin at 10:00 am (0900 GMT).
Railway and London Underground stations, normally a sea of people for the morning and evening rush hours, were deserted or even locked, with just a skeleton service running on many networks across the country.
Passengers were warned not to travel all week, with two more days of strike action scheduled for Thursday and Saturday playing havoc with schedules.
Cab firms reported a surge in demand, while the main roads were packed with buses and cars, with cyclists weaving in between.
Long queues formed at bus stops on the outskirts of London shortly after 6:00 am (0500 GMT), but many gave up as services carried on without stopping, already full.
Commuters trying to make their way home faced similar struggles.
‘Frustrating’
Amber Zito, 24, a canine hydrotherapist from Holmfirth, West Yorkshire, called the strikes “frustrating” after missing her morning train, but supported the rail workers.
“Everything is kind of going tits up at the moment — planes, trains, everything.
“I blame the government. I don’t blame the people who work for train companies at all, they are only trying to do what everyone wants for their job.”
The country appeared divided over the strikes, with 37 percent in favour this week compared with 45 percent against, according to a snap YouGov survey.
The government maintains the issue must be resolved by the private train operators and the unions.
Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said he “deplored” the strikes, which he said evoked the “bad old days of the 1970s” when industrial action was far more common.
“The people that are hurting are people who physically need to turn up for work, maybe on lower pay, perhaps the cleaners in hospitals,” he told Sky News.
‘Stay the course’
Prime Minister Boris Johnson, addressing his cabinet, urged “the union barons to sit down with Network Rail and the train companies” to thrash out a deal.
The country needed to “stay the course”, defending reforms to the rail network as needed and in the public interest.
RMT general-secretary Mick Lynch has described as “unacceptable” offers of below-inflation pay rises by both overground train operators and London Underground, which runs the Tube in the capital.
The walkouts risk causing significant disruption to major events including the Glastonbury music festival.
Thousands of teenagers taking national school exams were also hit. Some decided to leave at least an hour earlier to make it in time, while others took taxis.
The strikes are the biggest dispute on Britain’s railway network since 1989, according to the RMT. And rail operators warn of disruption throughout the week.
Only about 20 percent of services are running during the walkouts and half of all lines are closed. Those lines that are still open are running at reduced capacity.
And as well as the above-ground rail strike, RMT members on the London Underground are staging a 24-hour Tube train stoppage Tuesday.
Service is expected to reach 60 percent Wednesday, threatening further disruption.
Teachers, lawyers, NHS
Countries around the world are being hit by decades-high inflation as the Ukraine war and the easing of Covid restrictions fuel energy and food price hikes.
Unions also warn railway jobs are at risk, with passenger traffic yet to fully recover after the lifting of coronavirus pandemic lockdowns.
The strikes are compounding wider travel chaos after airlines were forced to cut flights owing to staff shortages, causing long delays and frustration for passengers.
Thousands of workers were sacked in the aviation industry during the pandemic, and the sector is struggling to recruit workers back as travel demand rebounds following the lifting of lockdowns.
The Criminal Bar Association, representing senior lawyers in England and Wales, have voted to strike from next week in a row over legal aid funding.
Teaching staff, workers in the state-run National Health Service and the postal service are also mulling strike action.
It was a night of sorrow and devastation in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, as a horrific multiple-vehicle crash along the Ibadan axis of the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway claimed at least five lives and left eight others injured in a fiery chain collision involving trucks, tankers, and smaller vehicles.
The accident occurred at about 10:00 p.m. on Friday around the Satguru Maharaji Ji Village axis, just before the Ibadan Toll Gate, throwing the busy highway into chaos as flames and thick smoke engulfed the scene.
The crash involved six trucks, including gas tankers and trailer units, two Toyota Hilux vans, and two cars, according to emergency officials who described it as one of the most severe road accidents in recent times on the corridor.
Eyewitnesses said the tragedy began when one of the trucks reportedly suffered brake failure and rammed into another vehicle ahead of it, triggering a chain reaction that quickly escalated into a multi-vehicle inferno.
In moments, several vehicles were trapped in the blaze, while terrified motorists and bystanders watched helplessly as the fire spread across the expressway.
Eight persons were rescued alive with varying degrees of injuries and were immediately rushed to nearby hospitals for urgent medical attention.
Confirming the incident, the Chairman of the Oyo State Fire Service, Maroof Akinwande, said the crash was caused by brake failure which spiralled into a massive fire outbreak.
“Upon arrival, we discovered that the accident involved six trucks (gas tankers and trailer trucks) and two cars, resulting in a fire outbreak,” he said.
“Five persons were recovered dead, while eight others were rescued and handed over to the team of the Federal Road Safety Corps led by SRC Adegbite from Toll Gate, Ibadan, for further medical attention at the nearest hospital.”
Firefighters eventually brought the inferno under control after hours of operation, while security operatives and traffic officials worked to clear wreckage and restore movement on the busy expressway.
Normalcy has since returned to the road, but the tragedy has left behind a grim reminder of the dangers of mechanical failure and unsafe haulage on Nigeria’s busiest highway.
A deeply disturbing incident has left residents of Daura Local Government Area, Katsina State, in shock after a 20-year-old woman allegedly killed her 97-year-old grandmother during a family dispute.
The Katsina State Police Command confirmed that the tragic incident occurred at about 7:00 p.m. on June 12, 2026, following an argument between the suspect and her paternal grandmother at their residence.
According to preliminary investigations, the disagreement escalated into violence when the young woman allegedly struck the elderly victim on the head with a wooden chair. The blow reportedly left the nonagenarian severely injured and unconscious.
The victim was later discovered in a pool of blood after the suspect’s father reported the incident to the Sabon Garin Daura Police Station. Police operatives immediately rushed to the scene and evacuated her to a nearby hospital for urgent medical attention.
Despite efforts by medical personnel, she was confirmed dead by a doctor shortly after arrival.
The Police Public Relations Officer of the Katsina State Command, DSP Abubakar Sadiq, said the suspect was arrested in the course of investigation and had reportedly made a confession to the crime.
He added that the suspect remains in custody and will be charged to court upon the completion of investigations, assuring that justice would be served in accordance with the law.
The command also appealed for calm among residents, reiterating its commitment to a thorough and transparent investigation into the circumstances surrounding the tragic incident.
No fewer than 20 shops were razed while goods valued at over ₦200 million were destroyed after a midnight fire gutted a shopping complex in the Dugbe area of Ibadan, Oyo State.
The inferno, which started around 11:30 p.m. on Saturday, affected the Nigerian Postal Service shopping complex located beside the Dugbe General Post Office.
Eyewitnesses told our correspondent on Sunday that the fire was allegedly triggered by an accident involving a Lexus saloon car.
According to residents, the driver reportedly lost control of the vehicle while travelling from the Queen’s Cinema axis towards Iyaganku.
The vehicle was said to have rammed into a giant billboard situated in front of the Nigerian Railway Corporation station in Ibadan before somersaulting and splitting into two.
Witnesses said the rear part of the vehicle, reportedly carrying a Compressed Natural Gas tank and back tyres, detached and rolled into the shopping complex, where an explosion occurred, igniting the fire.
The blaze razed about 20 shops dealing in stationery, computer accessories and clothing materials, leaving traders counting heavy losses.
Men of the Oyo State Fire Service were, however, able to prevent the fire from spreading to the General Post Office and adjoining buildings.
The occupants of the Lexus reportedly escaped unhurt.
Although some eyewitnesses alleged that the occupants were heading towards the Ring Road area before the crash, authorities had yet to officially confirm details surrounding their identities and movement as of the time of filing this report.
When our correspondent visited the scene around 8 a.m. on Sunday, firefighters and security operatives were still at the complex battling the aftermath of the inferno as smoke billowed from sections of the affected structure.
Shop owners and residents gathered at the scene, lamenting the destruction of goods and property.
One of the affected traders, Kingsley Chioma, said the Divisional Police Officer in charge of Iyaganku Police Station assured victims that efforts were underway to apprehend the driver.
“We lost goods worth millions of naira to the fire. The DPO assured us that the driver responsible for the incident would be arrested,” Chioma said.
As of the time of filing this report, officials of the Oyo State Fire Service and the police had yet to issue an official statement on the incident.
-
News7 days agoKola Oyewo’s family to Adeleke, Ooni, Atiku: Your condolences are our pillar of strength
-
Politics1 week ago
Oyo APC rejects Makinde’s planned December LG poll, vows boycott
-
News1 week ago
Govs Back State Police, Power Reform, Nutrition Drive, World Bank Partnership
-
Crime & Court1 week ago
Court Jails Bandit Kingpin’s Mother, Sister 40 Years for Terrorism Support
