WORKERS at three rail companies are said to be "solidly supporting" strikes amid bitter rows over staffing and driver-only trains which is disrupting travel for passengers, including racegoers attending the Grand National.

Members of the Rail, Maritime and Transport union (RMT) at Merseyrail, Arriva Trains North and Southern walked out for 24 hours, with little sign of a breakthrough in the disputes spreading across the industry.

Picket lines were mounted outside stations.

Mick Cash, general secretary of the RMT, said: "Support for all three strikes today is rock solid, with pickets out in force and morale high as our members on Southern, Northern and Merseyrail continue the fight for rail safety.

"It is down to all three companies to now get round the table with union negotiators and reach settlements based on the guarantee of a guard and a safe railway for all."

The strike at Arriva and Merseyrail coincides with the Grand National at Aintree, the biggest horse race of the year, which is attended by tens of thousands of people, many travelling by train.

Arriva Trains north said its services will be "significantly" reduced, with the last trains leaving Liverpool Lime Street between 7.02pm and 8.16pm.

The Merseyrail and Arriva disputes are over new trains coming into service in 2020 which will be driver-only, while the Southern row is now a year old, with the RMT taking its 31st day of strike action today.