TRAIN services came to a standstill as rail staff walked out in a long-running dispute.

Workers took to the picket line out Barrow's railway station, joining 40,000 other members of the Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) union in striking.

No trains from Barrow all day on Saturday, with some disruption continuing into Sunday as a result.

RMT members have walked out in Barrow several times in a dispute over pay and terms and conditions.

There are also fears over jobs being lost at ticket offices across the country, with Barrow's allegedly earmarked for closure.

They were joined on the picket line by representatives from the Barrow Trades Union Council.

Steve Nott, a Furness RMT representative, said: "We were told we were heroes by the Government during covid.

"Workers are committed to their jobs and want to provide the service." 

He said the Government needed to 'step aside and let the operators and Network Rail negotiate freely with our officials."

The Department for Transport said in a statement ahead of the strike: "For the third time this week, and second weekend in a row, we face disruption and disarray on our railways.

"Weekend rail travel has been on the rise since the pandemic as people travel to support their favourite sports teams, meet loved ones or go to events. These plans are all now jeopardised and our economy is damaged as a result.

"Our railway is in desperate need of modernisation but all strikes will do is punish the very people unions claim to stand up for and push passengers further away.

"We urge union bosses to reconsider this divisive action and instead work with their employers, not against them, to agree a new way forward."

Three strikes have taken place so far in October, with the others being held on Saturday 1 and Wednesday 5.

RMT boss Mick Lynch has accused the Government of making unrealistic proposals.

"If we gave up we would lose everything that we've negotiated over the decades and we're not prepared to do that," he said.

"We will be in this for as long as it takes."