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More people oppose the rail strikes than support them, a new poll says

The largest rail strike for a generation caused severe disruption on Tuesday, with more cancellations happening on Wednesday (Stefan Rousseau/PA) (PA Wire)
The largest rail strike for a generation caused severe disruption on Tuesday, with more cancellations happening on Wednesday (Stefan Rousseau/PA) (PA Wire)

More people oppose the rail strikes than support them, a new poll revealed on Tuesday.

The YouGov survey showed less than four in ten adults in the country  (37%) are supportive of the rail transport workers’ walk-outs this week.

A higher proportion  (45%) oppose them, suggesting the Rail, Martime and Transport union is out of touch with the views of many people in the country in staging the industrial action in the middle of a cost-of-living crisis and the school exam season.

The poll also found two thirds (66%) of those aged 65+ are opposed to the action, compared to almost half (48%) of those aged 18-24 supporting the strike.

Three in five (60%) also say they are opposed to suggestions of closing manned ticket offices at most railway stations.

In London, 42 per cent were opposed to the strikes, 38 per cent backed them, and 20 per cent were "don’t knows".

The survey was of 2,516 adults in Britain in 21 June 2022.