This weekend could see a possible wipeout of all Merseyrail services except those to The Open golf championship as staff consider walkout in pay dispute. Tony McDonough reports
Merseyrail will be decimated this weekend if strike action by staff in a pay dispute goes ahead.
Members of the RMT union, who include station retailers, station assistants, train managers, revenue protection officers, control centre staff, cleaners and some head office employees, are being balloted over a new pay offer.
However, if the pay offer is rejected they will walk out on Saturday and Sunday. These are also the final two days of The Open golf championship at Royal Birkdale. The event could attract around 260,000 spectators, many of whom will travel to the Southport course by train.
If the strike does go ahead Merseyrail says it will direct all its resources on trains to and from The Open which means all services on the rest of the Northern Line, and the whole of the Wirral Line, will be cancelled.
Union members are currently voting on a revised pay offer with the ballot due to close at midday on Friday, July 17.
Following the rejection of an initial 4% pay increase for 2026, Merseyrail tabled an improved offer worth 7.25% over two years, backdated to January 2026. The outcome of the ballot will determine whether industrial action takes place.
In the event the strike goes ahead, on Saturday, July 18, and Sunday, July 19, a 15-minute service will operate on the Southport line only, meaning that fans will still be able to get to and from Royal Birkdale.
Services will call at Liverpool Central, Blundellsands & Crosby, Hillside (for Royal Birkdale) and Southport only. Trains will run between 9am and 9pm with a break in service during the middle of the day. No services will operate elsewhere on the Merseyrail network.
On Monday, July 20, there would be a limited service across the network. Services will run from 10am until approximately 7pm, with a break during the middle of the day.
Neil Grabham, managing director of Merseyrail, said: “While strike action has been called, our hope is that RMT members will support the revised offer currently being considered and that disruption to our customers and the wider Liverpool city region can be avoided.
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“The Open Championship is one of the most important events in the region’s calendar, attracting tens of thousands of visitors and generating significant benefits for local businesses, communities and the tourism economy.
“Our teams are working hard to put contingency plans in place and, given the exceptional importance of The Open, we will prioritise a limited service between Liverpool and Southport to help spectators travel to and from Royal Birkdale.”