Rail union strikes to coincide with polling day

Rail union leaders will target election day for a series of national train strikes after a High Court judge forced them to cancel four days of walkouts this week.

As leaders re-ballot their members, union sources said new dates for strikes over job cuts and changes to working conditions could fall just before or after 6 May.

Network Rail admits a walkout by signal staff would bring most of the network, used by more than three million passengers a day, to a halt.
The dispute is over Network Rail's plans to axe 1,500 maintenance jobs and change the working conditions of thousands more.

RMT leader Bob Crow said he would turn the dispute into a "high-profile political issue throughout the election campaign". He says the changes will affect safety, which Network Rail denies.