By Michelle Fiddler, Greg O'Keeffe & Jane Woodhead, Liverpool Echo
STRIKE-HIT commuters watched in fury as packed trains pulled into Birkenhead's Hamilton Square station today - and left without allowing on any more travellers.
More than 30,000 local sector workers across the region staged a 24-hour strike over a pensions dispute with the government today - forcing the closure of both Mersey tunnels and the ferry service.
Merseyrail had extra carriages on the Wirral Line to help cope with demand, but the 5.51am service from West Kirkby was cancelled because of a track circuit failure.
A failure on the northern line at Liverpool's Central station meant some travellers had to leave their trains at Sandhills and catch a connecting service into the city.
Carriages arriving at Hamilton Square were so full dozens of commuters could not board and had to watch trains pull off again.
Commuter Sheila Clarke saw three trains leave the station without taking any more passengers.
Mrs Clarke, from Bebington, said: "We were promised there would be six cars on each train, but there have only been three."
Gaby Ashall from New Ferry, travelling to work at the Inland Revenue in the city centre, added: "Two full trains have passed through to allow people off, but nobody was allowed to get to get on."
Helena Darlington from Bebington said: "I came to Hamilton Square thinking it would be quicker. I have been forced to sit on the platform and watch three trains go through which were absolutely full."
News RSS Feed