Drivers from companies including West Midlands Trains, which operates services in the Birmingham area, have voted to strike on Saturday July 30, the second day of sporting action at the Games, in a dispute over pay.

Thirty-four sessions of sport are due to take place on this day between 7am BST and 10.30pm BST, with medals set to be awarded in weightlifting, swimming and Para swimming, artistic gymnastics, track cycling and Para track cycling and marathons in athletics.  

The strike action was announced a day after workers from the National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers (RMT) said they were striking for 24 hours on Wednesday July 27, the day before the Opening Ceremony.

Aslef general secretary Mick Whelan claimed its members had been forced into striking "by the train companies, driven by the Tory Government."

"We don't want to inconvenience passengers - not least because our friends and families use public transport, too, and we believe in building trust in the railways in Britain - and we don't want to lose money by going on strike," Whelan said, as reported by BBC News.

The Department for Transport, the United Kingdom Government department responsible for the English transport network, said in a statement: "It is very disappointing that, rather than commit to serious dialogue with the industry, Aslef are first seeking to cause further misery to passengers by joining others in disrupting the rail network."

Drivers at Arriva Rail London, Chiltern Railways, Great Western, LNER, Northern Trains, Southeastern and TransPennine Express are also set to go on strike.

In a statement provided to insidethegames, Jonny Wiseman, West Midlands Trains customer experience director, said: "It’s incredibly disappointing that the unions have chosen to take this course of damaging industrial action and disrupt journeys for our regular customers, as well as many thousands of visitors coming to the West Midlands for the Commonwealth Games.

"If this action does go ahead we expect significant disruption to rail services, with customers advised to make alternative travel arrangements.

"We are working closely with Transport for the West Midlands on contingency arrangements to do what we can to keep our customers moving."