Aberdeen and Inverness train stations deserted on first day of national rail strikes

Aberdeen and Inverness train stations have been deserted today as the usual hustle and bustle was silenced by rail strikes across the UK.

Aberdeen station, which handled nearly 2.5million passengers per year prior to Covid-19, and the Highland capital will have no scheduled trains during the strike days of June, 21, 23 and 25 respectively.

Dubbed as Britain’s biggest rail strike in 30 years, there will be no trains between the cities and from the north and north-east to the Central Belt during the three days.

It means that the usual swarm of commuters and travellers at the station were nowhere to be seen, with people’s journeys disrupted by the strikes that have been organised by the RMT union due to pay and conditions.

One group of people that were affected by the industrial action was the Parsons family from Indiana in the United States who are visiting Scotland for a week as part of two-week holiday in the UK.

‘It’s inconvenient’

They were meant to be getting a train from the Granite City to Inverness today, but had to make alternative arrangements to get to the Highland capital after their journey was disrupted.

Pete Parsons said: “It’s inconvenient, but we’ve managed solutions. People, individuals have been helpful in getting us around.”

In order to get to Inverness, they found a man online who will travel two hours to collect them in Aberdeen and take them north.

Mr Parsons added: “We’ve got golf this afternoon at 2.30, we think we’re going to make it.”

More strikes to come

The family will also be affected by the strikes on June 23 and June 25, as they had scheduled to travel from Dornoch to Edinburgh and then to Northumberland after that.

A number of RMT union members were seen striking outside Aberdeen station this morning, with North East Labour MSP, Mercedes Villalba joining members on the picket line in Edinburgh.

She tweeted: “Proud to support RMT members on their picket outside Waverley station this morning. Cut profits, not services. Support the strike, support the workers, defend our rail.”