Passengers divided as week of train strikes looms

The biggest rail strike in 30 years will start when more than 40,000 workers stage a walkout on Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday.

It means busy lines will only have 20 per cent of trains running, while other lines - such as Walsall to Rugeley - will have no services for the whole week.

At Sandwell & Dudley Train Station passengers and taxi drivers spoke of the impact the week of strikes will have on them.

Muznibur Choudhury has been a taxi driver since 2008, and is regularly stationed outside Sandwell & Dudley to take passengers from the station to their destination.

The 50-year-old from West Bromwich said: "If there are no trains, there's no trade. The train strike means we're not getting any money. We'll have to go into town and try and find other work."

Meanwhile, exam pressure is being intensified for students taking their GCSEs and A-Levels, who will now have to worry about how to get to school on top of everything else.

A mother of a teenager girl who wished to remain anonymous has no idea how her daughter will get to school in Birmingham for her exams this week.

"It's just a nightmare," she said. "I have another school run to do as well, so I might have to run her into Birmingham then come back to do another one."

While passengers spoke of the disruption being inflicted on them, several people agreed with train staff for striking.

Elaine Sutton from Tipton, a 51-year-old unpaid carer, said: "It's a pain, a real pain. I was supposed to be travelling on Wednesday but I've travelled today - because I'm going to Cornwall for two weeks.

However, when asked about the potential closure of all ticket booths in the country, Elaine said: "I don't think that'd be very good because I'm dyslexic, I don't know how to use those [ticket] machines.

"I had to get on the train yesterday because there was no one at my station and get my ticket when I was in Birmingham and I thought, am I going to get a fine?"

Sue Hanesworth, 60, from Stourbridge, was "50/50" about the reasoning for the strike, but agreed with Elaine about the need for station staff.

Sue said: "I was here to pick my daughter up on Friday - I was okay, she was okay, but there was a lady - had the ticket office not been there, she would have had no idea about a train being cancelled and wouldn't know what to do.

"And lots of people who actually maintain the lines and the safety of the trains would be made redundant - it's not on.

"So no, I do not agree with it. It isn't nice that people are having to strike but in some ways that's the only time you can do anything."

However, 25-year-old Luke from Halesowen did not agree with the decision to strike.

The 25-year-old student said: "I don't like it, to be honest. I don't think it's the right way to go about it if I'm honest, because the people that can change things that need to happen aren't taking trains.

"They're not affected by this strike. I think it's better to affect them.

"It will probably impact me - I'm supposed to be going down to London for a big tournament at the weekend and obviously that was one planned well in advance, and now these strikes are happening and it's not only going to affect me but a lot of people getting to that tournament - it's going to be really difficult.

"In terms of the pay I think everyone's in the same spot, it's not just the rail companies that are having it tough - it's everyone."