This month, commuters will be dealing with travel chaos as 20,000 rail workers prepare for a three-day strike in their ongoing pay dispute. The strike, organized by the RMT, will affect 14 train operators across England who failed to produce a revised pay offer.
The strike has significant implications for fans hoping to attend two Ashes Tests and The Open Championship golf tournament. Additionally, train drivers at 16 rail operators have refused to work overtime for six days in July, which may disrupt travel plans for tennis fans heading to Wimbledon. London Underground workers have also planned four days of walkouts in July.
When are the next train strikes?
The RMT has announced that 20,000 rail workers, including station staff, train managers, and catering workers, will strike on the following days:
- Thursday, July 20
- Saturday, July 22
- Saturday, July 29
These three days of strikes will affect cricket fans travelling to the fourth and fifth Ashes Tests, taking place at Old Trafford in Manchester (July 19-23) and London (July 27-31), respectively. The strikes also coincide with The Open Championship at the Royal Liverpool Golf Club (July 20-23).
In addition to the rail strikes, an overtime ban for Aslef train drivers will be in effect from July 3 to July 8. This ban could result in last-minute cancellations and may disrupt travel plans for the first week of Wimbledon (which began on July 3).
In May, previous strikes by RMT and Aslef caused havoc for rail passengers attending major events such as the FA Cup final, the Epsom Derby, Beyoncé’s “Renaissance” world tour concert, and the Eurovision final in Liverpool.
Which rail companies are affected?
The 14 rail companies affected by the RMT strikes are:
- Avanti West Coast
- C2C
- Chiltern Railways
- CrossCountry
- East Midlands Railway
- GTR (which includes Southern, Thameslink, Great Northern, and Gatwick Express)
- Great Western Railway
- Greater Anglia (including Stansted Express)
- LNER
- Northern Trains
- Southeastern
- South Western Railway
- TransPennine Express
- West Midlands Trains
- GTR operates Southern, Thameslink, Great Northern, and Gatwick Express.
The level of disruption caused by the Aslef overtime ban will vary for different operators. The affected train companies are:
- Avanti West Coast
- Chiltern Railways
- CrossCountry
- East Midlands Railway
- Greater Anglia
- GWR
- GTR Great Northern Thameslink
- Island Line
- LNER
- Northern Trains
- Southeastern
- Southern
- Gatwick Express
- South Western Railway main line
- SWR depot drivers
- TransPennine Express
- West Midlands Trains
Advice for traveling during train strikes
National Rail advises passengers to expect “significant disruption” during strike days. Services may also be disrupted and start later the day immediately after the strikes. To navigate the situation, National Rail recommends:
- Using its Journey Planner and checking close to the time of each strike date
- Using its Live Trains page for the most up-to-date information about arrivals and departures
- Planning ahead and checking before you travel, especially if you’re traveling on the first and last trains of strike days
Train station ticket office closures
According to the Rail Delivery Group (RDG), nearly all railway station ticket offices will be closed, with staff being reassigned to station platform and concourse duties. Ticket office facilities will only remain open at the busiest stations. Posters will be displayed in stations to inform passengers about potential closures. The government will finalize the decision on which offices will close following a consultation. The closure program is expected to last for three years.
Why are 20,000 rail workers striking again?
The RMT has accused train operators of failing to make a new pay offer to end the ongoing industrial action. Mr. Lynch, a spokesperson for the RMT, expressed disappointment in the lack of negotiation efforts from the train operating companies and government ministers.
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