York keeping fingers crossed with rail strikes set to disrupt Ebor meeting

York is hoping rail unions and the government will be able to resolve their highly-publicised dispute ahead of the strike action which is set to cause disruption during the track's flagship Ebor meeting.

RMT union workers are set to go on strike again over jobs, pay and working conditions on three days this month, with the Transport Salaried Staffs' Association (TSSA) also set to take part in industrial action, including on Yorkshire Oaks day on August 18 and Ebor day on August 20.

Train services into York station via LNER on the East Coast Main Line, CrossCountry, TransPennine Express and Northern are expected to be severely affected, with racegoers from outside the city set to be forced to rely on other modes of transport to get to the track.

James Brennan, marketing and sponsorship manager for York, said: "Like lots of people in walks of life, it's an inconvenience. Naturally the busiest days would be on the Thursday and Saturday.

"The hope is with two and a half weeks to go, it's a long time in industry-related issues and the parties can come together and reach a resolution.

"However, the good news is that two of the days aren't affected by the strikes and include what many would consider the best race, the Juddmonte International. Baaeed fans can come and see him, while Stradivarius fans can say their farewells on the Friday in the Lonsdale Cup hopefully."

Free parking will also be available for racegoers, while shuttle buses which run throughout the day from the track to the station and city centre will still go ahead.

"We're blessed we've got lots of parking space that's always been free at York. It's always been an opportunity for people to take advantage of," Brennan added.

"Racegoers are a resourceful bunch and while it's a complicated picture with York as a transport hub, there are a number of different paths for solutions thankfully."

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