Merseyrail strikes called off after revised pay offer

Three days of Merseyrail strike action set for 18–20 July have been called off after a revised pay offer. The walkouts would have hit The Open weekend in Southport. For fans tracking liverpool weather and travel plans, trains will run on a revised timetable. The RMT had rejected Merseyrail’s initial 4% rise for 2026 before the improved deal was tabled.

Key Takeaways

• Planned Merseyrail strikes from Saturday 18 July to Monday 20 July have been called off.
• Merseyrail’s revised offer is worth 7.25% over two years, backdated to January 2026.
• Services will run for The Open Championship, but on a revised timetable.
• Some stations, including Cressington, still face an event timetable while eight-car trains run.

The climbdown matters because the dispute had threatened travel to Royal Birkdale for the 154th Open, one of the region’s biggest visitor weekends. Coverage across Future Tech & AI Wonders often tracks how big events reshape local networks; this time the story is a last-minute labour deal.

Why were Merseyrail strikes planned in the first place?

RMT members had rejected Merseyrail’s first offer of a 4% pay rise for 2026. The union then planned a three-day walkout from Saturday 18 July to Monday 20 July, overlapping The Open in Southport.

According to BBC News, Merseyrail later announced a revised package worth 7.25% over two years, backdated to January 2026. RMT general secretary Eddie Dempsey welcomed the improved offer and said it would be discussed with members.

Will trains still run for The Open Championship?

Yes. With the strikes called off, Merseyrail says services will operate, though on a revised timetable aimed at people travelling to the championship. That removes the risk of a wider network shutdown that contingency planning had prepared for.

Earlier contingency plans, reported before the deal landed, had prioritised a limited Southport-line service for spectators while warning that large parts of the network—including the Wirral line—could have stopped if industrial action went ahead. Those emergency steps are no longer the headline after the revised offer.

What local disruption remains during The Open?

Even with strikes off, Open demand still changes everyday journeys. Merseyrail is running larger eight-car trains for extra capacity, but those units cannot stop at Cressington because of a shorter platform. Services there are cut from every 15 minutes to every 40 minutes under an event timetable between 16 and 19 July.

Councillor Richard Clein said he was “fuming” and argued residents deserved a full service. Metro Mayor Steve Rotheram called the situation “a mess,” while Merseyrail said the event timetable was the safest practical way to serve local passengers and championship crowds.

For Open visitors and regular riders alike, the core update is simple: the industrial action is off, pay talks move to the membership, and trains—not a strike blackout—will define the championship weekend on Merseyrail.