Next month, Britain will experience further travel disruption as 20,000 rail workers are preparing for a three-day strike due to an ongoing dispute over pay. The strike, organized by the Rail, Maritime and Transport union (RMT), will affect 14 train operators across England. These companies have failed to provide a revised pay offer, resulting in the strike action. The upcoming strikes will impact major sporting events including two Ashes Tests and The Open Championship golf tournament.
Additionally, train drivers at 16 rail operators have decided not to work overtime for six days next month, which poses a threat to travel for tennis fans heading to Wimbledon.
When are the upcoming train strikes?
On July 20, 22, and 29, 20,000 rail workers in the UK, including station staff, train managers, and catering workers, will go on strike. This will directly affect cricket fans traveling to the fourth and fifth Ashes Tests. The fourth Ashes Test will be held at Old Trafford between Wednesday, July 19, and Sunday, July 23, while the fifth Test in London will run from Thursday, July 27, to Monday, July 31. Additionally, the strikes coincide with The Open Championship, taking place from Thursday, July 20, to Sunday, July 23, at the Royal Liverpool Golf Club.
During the same period, Aslef train drivers have planned an overtime ban for six days, from Monday, July 3, to Saturday, July 8. This will impact the first week of the Wimbledon tournament, which starts on Monday, July 3.
In May, previous strikes organized by RMT and Aslef disrupted rail travel for various events, such as the FA Cup final at Wembley, the Epsom Derby, Beyoncé’s “Renaissance” world tour concert at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, and the Eurovision final in Liverpool.
Which rail companies will be affected?
Rail workers from the RMT will strike at 14 rail companies, including:
- Avanti West Coast
- C2C
- Chiltern Railways
- CrossCountry
- East Midlands Railway
- GTR (includes Southern, Thameslink, Great Northern, and Gatwick Express)
- Great Western Railway
- Greater Anglia (includes 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
Tips for traveling during train strikes
During strike days, National Rail warns passengers to anticipate “significant disruption.” Services are also likely to be affected and may start later on the day immediately following the strike. To minimize inconvenience, National Rail advises passengers to:
- Utilize the Journey Planner tool for the most up-to-date information about each strike date.
- Refer to the Live Trains page for real-time updates on arrivals and departures.
- Plan ahead and check travel details, particularly if traveling on the first and last trains on strike days.
Why are 20,000 rail workers going on strike again?
The RMT has accused train operators of failing to present a new pay offer that would resolve the ongoing industrial action. Mick Lynch, the general secretary of the RMT, expressed the union’s readiness for negotiations: “My team of negotiators and I are available 24/7 for talks with the train operating companies and government ministers. Yet quite incredibly, neither party has made any attempt whatsoever to arrange any meetings or put forward a decent offer that can help us reach a negotiated solution.”
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