WORKERS at three rail operators are to stage a fresh 24-hour strike on the day of the Grand National in bitter disputes over staffing and the role of conductors.

Members of the Rail, Maritime and Transport union at Southern, Merseyrail and Arriva Trains North will walk out on April 8, causing fresh travel misery for hundreds of thousands of passengers.

Many people travel to the Grand National at Aintree in Liverpool by train, so any disruption to Merseyrail services will hit those going to the biggest race in the world.

The Arriva dispute is over plans for driver-only operated new trains.

General secretary Mick Cash said: “The continuing refusal of the company to give a simple, lasting guarantee that protects the safety-critical role of the guard on their trains leaves RMT with no option but to announce this further day of strike action.

“This dispute, and the industrial action we have announced today, were entirely preventable if the company had listened to the union’s deep-seated safety concerns, had taken them seriously, stuck to their earlier commitments and had put passenger safety before profit. The company’s intransigence has forced our hand and given us to option but to announce this latest phase of industrial action. The disruption to services will be entirely down to Arriva Rail North reneging on their earlier commitments.”