Rail strikes “risk misery” for music fans as half of Glastonbury trains are cancelled

nme.com:

Glastonbury 2022.Today (June 21) marks the first of three planned national rail strikes in the UK this week, with further strikes planned for Thursday (June 23) and Saturday (June 25).

Passengers have been urged to avoid all but essential travel this week.The Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers Union (RMT) is striking over “an aggressive agenda” of cuts to jobs, conditions, pay and pensions.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson has urged commuters to “stay the course”.According to BBC News, the strikes are causing widespread disruption across England, Wales and Scotland, with about 20 per cent of services running.More than half of the trains that were set to run from London to Castle Cary, the closest station to the Glastonbury festival site, have been cancelled due to the strikes.

Festivalgoers have been advised to make alternative travel arrangements, with gates set to open tomorrow (June 22).Speaking about the impact that the strikes will have on the live music industry, UK Music’s chief executive Jamie Njoku-Goodwin said that the action will “risk misery” for thousands of music fans who are “desperate” to get back to Glastonbury.“These strikes risk misery for hundreds of thousands of music fans across the country who have been desperate to get back to festivals after two years of lockdowns,” he said (via i News).“Thousands of music fans will face a huge struggle to get to Glastonbury because of the disruption, which will add to road traffic at a time when we’re working hard to improve sustainability in the music industry.”Njoku-Goodwin added: “These strikes come at a crucial time for the live music industry and music businesses, which are just getting back on their feet post-pandemic.“It’s vital that all sides get around.