Train strikes UK today: Everything you need to know about July and August rail industrial action

Thirteen months on from the beginning of the primary nationwide rail strikes because the 1980s, the disputes over pay, jobs and working circumstances seem as intractable as ever. July has seen the resumption of industrial action aimed toward greater than a dozen practice operators by each foremost rail unions, which is able to proceed into August.

In a separate dispute, workers working for the London Underground will stroll out for six days in late July in a row over over pensions, job cuts and what the RMT union calls “attacks on working conditions”.

In the nationwide rail disputes, the most important union, the RMT, and Aslef, representing practice drivers, say a lot of their members haven’t had a pay rise for 4 years. They are demanding respectable, no-strings will increase that take note of the excessive stage of inflation. The unions are ready to talk about reforms, however these should be negotiated individually with commensurate boosts to pay.

Train operators and ministers – who should log off any deal – insist modernisation is crucial following the collapse of rail income, specifically the lack of a lot of the “bedrock” of season ticket gross sales because the Covid pandemic.

Caught within the center: the long-suffering passenger. Since June 2022, nationwide rail strikes and different types of industrial action have scuppered the journey plans of tens of hundreds of thousands of practice passengers. Stoppages have been referred to as incessantly, inflicting huge disruption and making advance journey planning tough.

Transport for Wales and ScotRail are usually not concerned and will run regular providers, however a number of the affected operators normally run trains in Wales and Scotland.

These are the important thing questions and solutions.

Who is taking industrial action, and when?

The practice drivers’ union, Aslef, is mounting “action short of a strike” within the form of Monday-to-Saturday extra time bans. It carried out the primary six-day walk-out from 3 to 8 July. The second started on Monday 17 July and will proceed till Saturday 22 July inclusive. A 3rd begins on Monday 31 July till Saturday 5 August.

Hundreds of trains are seemingly to be cancelled every day.

The largest rail union, the RMT, has referred to as` 20,000 of its members out on strike on Thursday 20, Saturday 22 and Saturday 29 July. The first two dates coincide with the Aslef extra time bans.

The late July walk-outs are seemingly to trigger widespread cancellations initially of the primary summer time faculty holidays in England.

A London Underground strike, additionally involving members of the RMT, will run from Sunday 23 to Friday 28 July. It is sandwiched between two of the nationwide walk-outs referred to as by the identical union.

Which practice operators are concerned the nationwide disputes?

The RMT strikes and Aslef extra time ban are aimed toward rail companies contracted by the Department for Transport. They embody the main intercity operators:

Most London commuter operators shall be hit:

Operators specializing in the Midlands and north of England shall be affected:

What is going on about the London Underground?

The RMT plans a walk-out from Sunday 23 July till Friday 28 July. General secretary Mick Lynch says: “This week of action will shut down the London Underground and show just how important the work of our members is.”

The union claims 600 jobs are scheduled to be axed, main to “more unstaffed stations and a lowering of safety standards”. The union says bosses “plan to make London Underground staff poorer in retirement”.

London Overground and the Elizabeth Line are unaffected by the deliberate industrial action. But routes that supply alternate options to strike-hit routes, comparable to Stratford, Walthamstow Central and Ealing Broadway to central London, are seemingly to be particularly busy throughout the walk-outs by RMT members working for practice operators and the London Underground,

Why have been the July and August dates chosen?

Like any unions, the RMT and Aslef are in search of the most important influence – ie to trigger as a lot disruption as they’ll. With rail commuting sharply down because the Covid pandemic, the goal is now leisure passengers.

Aslef’s first extra time ban coincided with the primary week of the Wimbledon tennis championships in southwest London.

The second Aslef extra time ban will have an effect on passengers hoping to journey to the primary 4 days of the fourth Ashes Test between England and Australia, which begins on Wednesday 19 July at Old Trafford in Manchester.

The RMT union’s nationwide walk-outs are concentrating on what are seemingly to be three of the busiest days of the month.

Many households shall be on the transfer initially of faculty holidays on 20 and 22 July; these dates additionally fall throughout the Open golf championship at Royal Liverpool Golf Club.

The 29 July strike will hit journeys to and from vacation resorts.

Cricket followers hoping to journey to and inside London for the fifth Ashes Test on the Oval, which shall be performed 27-31 July, face disruption from all three elements of industrial action.

The first two days shall be hit by the London Underground strike; the third by the RMT nationwide strike; and the fifth by the Aslef extra time ban..

The strike days for the London Underground, from 23 to 28 July, are supposed to disrupt journey within the capital for so long as potential. In mixture, passengers within the capital who rely upon each nationwide rail and the Tube shall be hit by strikes on 9 out of 10 days between 20 and 29 July.

Which trains will run throughout the Aslef and RMT industrial action?

Passengers can anticipate regular service on:

Southeastern: no influence anticipated from Aslef strike; RMT strike days will see a lot decreased providers, with hyperlinks solely from London Victoria to Bromley South, London Bridge to Dartford and Sevenoaks and London St Pancras International and decreased service hours.

Southern/Great Northern/Thameslink: During the Aslef extra time ban, an emergency timetable with fewer providers will run. The Thameslink core between London Bridge and St Pancras shall be closed.

On Great Northern practice will run often from London Kings Cross to Cambridge and Kings Lynn. Peterborough and Letchworth get peak hour providers solely.“Services will be busier than usual, especially in peak hours. It’s likely you will need to queue and you may not be able to board your chosen service. You should allow extra time for your journey.”

On RMT strike days, a decreased service will run between 7am and 7pm.

Gatwick Express: Cancelled on 17-22 July and on 29 July.

Southwestern: Reduced providers throughout Aslef extra time ban, skeleton community on RMT strike days: London Waterloo to Guildford, Southampton, Ascot and Hampton Court. All different traces closed.

Great Western Railway (GWR): Night Riviera sleeper practice from London Paddington to Penzance is cancelled from 16 to 21 July, resuming on 23 July.

The Aslef extra time ban “is likely to cause some short-notice alterations or cancellations”.

On the RMT strike days, “many parts of the GWR network will have no service at all”.

GWR says: “Services will start later, finish much earlier and only operate for a limited period during the day.”

But a much bigger community than on earlier days will function, with trains on the next intercity routes to and from London Paddington:

In addition some regional providers will run, together with Cardiff to Westbury by way of Bath and Bristol, and Bristol to Plymouth.

Chiltern: Fewer trains and decreased hours throughout the Aslef extra time ban. On RMT strike days the community shall be decreased to a restricted service linking London Marylebone with Aylesbury, Banbury and Oxford.

Avanti West Coast: The Aslef extra time ban just isn’t anticipated to have an effect. But on RMT strike days the image is sophisticated by large-scale engineering work. The fundamental sample to and from London Euston shall be one practice every hour to/from:

On 29 July there shall be extra trains with Birmingham and Liverpool every getting a devoted service.

North Wales, Shrewsbury, Blackpool, Stoke-on-Trent, Macclesfield and Edinburgh could have no Avanti West Coast providers.

“The days after industrial action are also expected to be affected – particularly due to the reduced timetable for engineering work, but trains may also start later in the morning than usual following the strike,” Avanti West Coast says.

Northern: “Disruption is anticipated between 17-22 July, notably Friday 21 July, due to industrial action referred to as by Aslef.

“There shall be very restricted Northern providers on Thursday 20, Saturday 22 and Saturday 29 July.”

TransPennine Express: “We expect some services to start later and finish earlier than usual, and some journeys may be altered late or on the day of travel” – that’s the prediction for the Aslef extra time ban.

On RMT strike days (20, 22 and 29 July) a really restricted variety of trains will run on the Manchester Piccadilly-Leeds-York-Scarborough route; between Preston and Manchester Airport; and between Sheffield and Cleethorpes.

East Midlands Railway: Various practice cancellations are predicted throughout the Aslef extra time ban. On RMT strike days, the operator says: “Only travel by rail if absolutely necessary and if you do travel, expect severe disruption.” But a major service will function hourly on these routes:

LNER: During Aslef extra time ban, “it is possible there will be short-notice alterations and cancellations”.

On RMT strike days, an everyday service will run on the London-York-Newcastle-Edinburgh line, with first departures round 7am and ultimate arrivals round 10pm. The London-Leeds will run roughly 7am-6pm.

Trains could possibly be unexpectedly full as Grand Central – uninvolved within the dispute – has cancelled dozens of trains due to fleet points.

Greater Anglia: “A number of cancellations” throughout the Aslef extra time ban.

“Avoid travelling with Greater Anglia on strike days,” the corporate says.

Will airport trains run?

The Gatwick Express between the Sussex airport and London is suspended, however Southern trains can be found on the London Victoria-Gatwick link

Gatwick, Luton, Birmingham and Manchester airports could have some trains throughout the RMT walk-outs. Stansted Airport is probably going to have trains to and from London Liverpool Street each hour from round 7am till the night.

Heathrow airport is unaffected by the nationwide walk-outs: it’s served by the Heathrow Express and Elizabeth Line, in addition to the London Underground. But throughout the RMT Tube strike in opposition to Transport for London, the airport’s Tube link on the Piccadilly Line is probably going to be suspended – in widespread with virtually all different Underground providers

Will Eurostar be affected?

No, however connections to and from the practice operator’s foremost hub at London St Pancras International shall be tough as a result of union members working for all three home practice operators on the station (East Midlands Railway, Southeastern and Thameslink) serving the station will stroll out. On London Underground strike days, 23-28 July, entry may also be tough.

Why is Aslef taking industrial action?

Mick Whelan, Aslef’s normal secretary, stated: “Once once more we discover ourselves with no different however to take this action. We have frequently come to the negotiating desk in good religion, in search of to resolve the dispute.

“Sadly, it’s clear from the actions of each the practice working firms and the federal government that they don’t want an finish to the dispute. Their targets seem to be to proceed industrial strife and to do down our business.

“We don’t need to inconvenience the general public. We simply need to see our members paid pretty throughout a value of dwelling disaster when inflation is working at above 10 per cent, and to not see our phrases and circumstances taken away.

“It’s time for the federal government and the businesses to suppose once more and search for a decision.”

Why is the RMT placing nationally?

The RMT normal secretary Mick Lynch has described the newest supply from the practice operators – represented by the Rail Delivery Group (RDG) – as “substandard”. He stated: “This newest section of action will present the nation simply how vital railway workers are to the working of the rail business.

”The authorities continues to shackle the businesses and won’t permit them to put ahead a bundle that may settle this dispute.

“RMT will proceed its industrial marketing campaign till we attain a negotiated settlement on pay, working circumstances and job safety.

The RMT has staged walk-outs on 28 days within the present wave of strikes, with Aslef stopping work on 13 earlier events.

What do the practice operators say?

A spokesman for the RDG stated: “More strikes are completely pointless. After a 12 months of industrial action all of the RMT has achieved is dropping their members more cash than they’d have obtained within the pay provides they refused to put to put out to a vote, regardless of having agreed the phrases with the negotiators the room.

“We have now made three provides that the RMT government have blocked with no convincing clarification. We stay open to talks and we’ve stated repeatedly that we wish to give our individuals a pay rise.

“But till the union management and government is united in what it desires and engages in good religion with the 30 per cent shortfall in income the business is constant to grapple with post-Covid, it’s tough to transfer ahead.

“Sadly our workers, our clients and the communities throughout the nation which depend on a thriving railway are those which are struggling consequently.”

What does the federal government say?

A spokesperson for the Department for Transport stated: “The RMT management’s choice to name strikes concentrating on two iconic worldwide sporting occasions, as youngsters and households start their summer time holidays, will disrupt individuals’s plans throughout the nation.

“After a 12 months of industrial action, passengers and rail staff alike are rising uninterested in union bosses enjoying politics with their lives.

“It’s excessive time the union leaders realised that strikes now not have the influence they as soon as did and are merely driving individuals away from the railway.”

I’ve a ticket booked for one of many RMT nationwide strike days. What can I do?

Passengers with Advance, Anytime or Off-Peak tickets can have their ticket refunded with no payment if the practice that the ticket is booked for is cancelled, delayed or rescheduled.

Train operators are seemingly to supply flexibility to journey on a variety of non-strike days.

Passengers with season tickets who don’t journey can declare compensation for the strike dates by Delay Repay.

What are the alternate options?

As at all times, long-distance coach operators – National Express, Megabus and Flixbus – will hold working, although seats have gotten scarce and fares are rising.