It is one of York's busiest days of the year with one of the most attractive events of the city's racing calendar.

More than 30,000 people were expected to hit town for the race meeting alone, let alone the thousands of trippers roaming York's attractions.

The 24-hour rail strike called by Arriva conductors was strategically - even cynically - timed to cause maximum damage It's war, and there are casualties in every war, says the Rail, Maritime and Transport union

True enough. The influx of 30,000 people on any day stretches the city's road system to gridlock point. So with a rail strike cutting services to ribbons, the impact on York was guaranteed to be devastating.

Clever move by the union, chaos and pain for everyone else.

Racegoers, holidaymakers, local workers - whether train passengers or car drivers - never mind the local businesses, had to be badly hit.

But the crunch point was due just after 6pm as hordes descended on York Station after a day at the races or a busy day at the office. They were due to find few, if any, trains home. Frustration was expected to turn to anger; York Station staff - not involved in the strike - and the British Transport Police were bracing themselves for trouble.

The Arriva conductors dispute and its series of crippling strikes, has dragged on for nearly eight months.

Enough is enough.

The conductors feel their pay claim is just; the company says it has no more money to offer.

The deadlock must now be broken by intervention and arbitration.

The arbitration and conciliation service, ACAS, has said it is watching the situation but cannot intervene unless invited by both sides.

Surely the Strategic Rail Authority, the rail watchdog which awards the all-important rail franchises, should now step in and find a way to resolve this dispute.

The rail industry has suffered enough body blows to allow this protracted, damaging dispute to continue to disrupt the lives of thousands of people.

Note of relief

Relief is on the way. The pressure on our pockets is about to be eased.

There won't be price cuts, just fewer pound coins in our change.

Problems with the £5 note's serial numbers rubbing off have meant they have been held back by the Bank of England lately, which meant we have all been weighed down by heavy coin of the realm whenever we tendered a tenner or £20 note.

But with a cunning application of varnish and ink treatment the fivers are ready to roll again, safe from the forger's tampering.

Ah well, back to that Rembrandt.

Updated: 10:06 Wednesday, August 21, 2002