Commuters are set to face significant travel disruptions this month as 20,000 rail workers are preparing for a three-day strike in their ongoing pay dispute. The strike, organized by members of the RMT, will affect 14 train operators across England who have failed to present a revised pay offer. These strikes will coincide with major sporting events, including two Ashes Tests and The Open Championship golf tournament. Additionally, 16 rail operators’ train drivers have refused to work overtime for six days in July, potentially causing disruptions for tennis fans attending Wimbledon. Furthermore, London Underground workers have planned four days of walkouts in July.
The upcoming strikes are scheduled for Thursday, July 20, Saturday, July 22, and Saturday, July 29. Cricket fans traveling to the fourth and fifth Ashes Tests will be particularly impacted. The fourth Test will take place at Old Trafford in Manchester from Wednesday, July 19, to Sunday, July 23. The fifth Test in London will run from Thursday, July 27, to Monday, July 31. The strike days also overlap with The Open Championship, which will be held from Thursday, July 20, to Sunday, July 23, at the Royal Liverpool Golf Club.
Furthermore, an overtime ban by Aslef train drivers is scheduled for six days, from Monday, July 3, to Saturday, July 8. This ban may result in last-minute cancellations and will coincide with the first week of this year’s Wimbledon tournament, which commenced on Monday, July 3.
The strikes in May initiated by RMT and Aslef caused widespread disruption for rail passengers attending events such as the FA Cup final, the Epsom Derby, Beyoncé’s “Renaissance” world tour concert, and the Eurovision final.
The 14 rail companies affected by the RMT strikes include 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, and West Midlands Trains.
The level of disruption caused by the Aslef overtime ban will vary across different operators. The affected train companies are Avanti West Coast, Chiltern Railways, Cross Country, 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, and West Midlands Trains.
National Rail advises passengers to expect significant disruption during strike days, with services likely to be affected and delayed on the day immediately after. To minimize inconvenience, National Rail suggests using their Journey Planner and Live Trains page for real-time information on arrivals and departures. Passengers are also advised to plan their journeys in advance, particularly if traveling on the first and last trains during strike days.
Additionally, nearly all railway station ticket offices will be closed, with staff reassigned to platform and concourse duties, as stated by the Rail Delivery Group (RDG). Ticket office facilities will only remain open at the busiest stations. Posters will be displayed in stations to inform passengers of potential closures, and the final decision on which offices will be shut will be made by the government following a consultation. The closure process is expected to span three years.
The RMT accuses train operators of failing to propose a new pay offer to resolve the ongoing industrial action. The union leader, Mr. Lynch, expresses the availability of his negotiation team for 24/7 talks with train operating companies and government ministers. However, neither party has made any effort to arrange meetings or present a reasonable offer to reach a negotiated solution.
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