Wales' rail services hit as strike action resumes

Cardiff Central, Wales' busiest station, was very quiet on Saturday

The majority of train services were suspended in Wales on Saturday as part of nationwide strike action.

Members of four unions have begun a 24-hour walkout in a long-running dispute over pay, jobs and conditions.

Transport for Wales (TfW) has limited services operating although it was not involved in Saturday's strike action. It has advised against travel by train.

It is the first of three days of action over pay, with disruption on lines on Saturday, then 5 and 8 October.

It was expected to cause disruption in Cardiff with thousands in the capital for a pro-independence march.

About 27,500 runners and supporters have started arriving in the city ahead of Sunday's Cardiff Half Marathon.

There will be no Great Western services departing or arriving in south Wales or Avanti West Coast services in north Wales, with operators and Network Rail on strike.

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In south Wales, only core valley lines services to stations such as Rhymney, Treherbert and Aberdare, as well as a shuttle to Newport, were running, and only between 07:30 BST and 18:30.

Union members outside the Network Rail depot at Llandudno Junction on Saturday

Aslef union general secretary Mick Whelan said train companies were "telling train drivers to take a real-terms pay cut".

"With inflation now running at 12.3% - and set, it is said, to go higher - these companies are saying that drivers should be prepared to work just as hard, for just as long, but for considerably less."

Unions are in dispute with the UK government and train operators, with Network Rail saying it needed to implement "modernisation plans" and its offer was worth an 8% increase over two years.

Outside the Network Rail depot in Llandudno Junction, Conwy county, strikers from the RMT union were joined by supporters including Labour councillors.

Paul Wild, a local union representative said he understood people's frustration at cancelled services, adding: "We appreciate they're hard [times] for everyone."

Causing further disruption over the weekend is the fact the M48 Severn Bridge will be closed until 06:00 Monday for two high-level cable inspection gantries to be moved.

Diversions will be in place, including on the M4 and over the Prince of Wales Bridge.