- Title: U.K.: RAIL STRIKE BRINGS SERVICES TO A HALT FOR THE THIRD TIME IN ELEVEN DAYS.
- Date: 11th March 1973
- Summary: 1. LV PAN Deserted platforms and railway lines Paddington station 0.08 2. CU Notice announcing suspended service 0.13 3. CU Chain across entrance to platform 0.21 4. LV Empty departure board 0.34 5. SV Two women waiting 0.40 6. CU Empty railway lines 0.43 7. LV & CU Fraight waiting on deserted platform (2 shots) 1.03 8. CU ZOOM OUT Closed ticket office 1.12 Initials BB/1303 GR/MR/BB/1313 Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
- Embargoed: 26th March 1973 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: PADDINGTON STATION, LONDON, U.K.
- City:
- Country: United Kingdom
- Reuters ID: LVAB3Q5PX111E26VHOPT0F2VTXHD
- Story Text: Britons on Sunday (11 March) found themselves without trains for the third time in 11 days, and London's rail-stations, including Paddington serving western England, took on a deserted aspect as trains remained idle and ticket offices were closed.
Because it was a Sunday, there were not the usual traffic-jams clogging cities throughout Britain. But day-excursion trips and normal weekend leisure travel were cancelled, as were many services on Saturday (10 March), including 36 'football specials' taking fans to matches.
Sunday's stoppage was the third one-day strike by the 29,000 railwaymen of the Associated Society of Locomotive engineers and Firemen (ASLRF). The train drivers are demanding an increase in their basic weekly pay from 30.75 pounds sterling ($U.S. 76) to 40 pounds sterling ($U.S. 99).
SYNOPSIS: London's rail stations were deserted on Sunday as striking railwaymen carried out their third complete stoppage in eleven days.
Because it was a Sunday, most commuters stayed at home and services were not as hard-hit as on the two previous week-day strikes. But weekend leisure-travel was disrupted, as were the travel-plans of the ever-growing number of 'weekend commuters' -- those who live in the country at weekends and travel to London on Sunday evenings to begin a week's work.
This is London's Paddington Station which serves England's West Country -- weekend home of many London commuters and a popular holiday district.
Not only passengers are effected by the strike. Industrial shipments are often held up for days, and post on Sunday was delayed for at least twenty-four hours. Services to ports were also cancelled, and special buses were laid on for those trying to reach the containment by ferry.
The twenty-nine thousand striking railwaymen are claiming an extra ten pounds a week, to bring their weekly wage to forty pounds.
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