In the coming month, Britain will experience further travel disruptions as 20,000 rail workers plan to strike for three consecutive days due to their ongoing pay dispute. The Rail, Maritime and Transport union (RMT) members have decided to walk out at 14 different train operators in England because the companies have failed to present a new pay offer. The strikes will coincide with major events such as two Ashes Tests and The Open Championship golf tournament, potentially impacting fans who intended to attend.
Additionally, train drivers from 16 rail operators have chosen to refuse overtime work for six days in the following month. This is a significant threat to tennis fans planning to travel to Wimbledon.
When will the next train strikes occur?
The RMT has announced that on July 20, 22, and 29, a total of 20,000 rail workers, including station staff, train managers, and catering workers, will embark on strike action throughout the UK.
The three-day strike will impact cricket fans traveling to the fourth and fifth Ashes Tests. The fourth Test will take place at Old Trafford from Wednesday, July 19 to Sunday, July 23. The fifth Test in London will run from Thursday, July 27 to Monday, July 31.
The strikes will also coincide with The Open Championship, scheduled from Thursday, July 20 to Sunday, July 23 at the Royal Liverpool Golf Club.
Simultaneously, Aslef train drivers will enforce an overtime ban for six days, starting from Monday, July 3 to Saturday, July 8. This industrial action will occur during the first week of the Wimbledon tournament, starting on Monday, July 3.
In May, RMT and Aslef strikes caused severe disruption for rail passengers, affecting events such as the FA Cup final, the Epsom Derby, Beyoncé’s “Renaissance” world tour concert, and the Eurovision final.
Which rail companies will be affected?
RMT members will strike at 14 rail companies, including 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 (which includes 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 among different operators. The affected train companies include 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, and West Midlands Trains.
Travel advice during train strikes
National Rail warns passengers to expect “significant disruption” on strike days, with likely delays and reduced services on the following day. Passengers are advised to:
- Use the National Rail Journey Planner, checking close to each strike date for the most up-to-date information.
- Refer to the Live Trains page for real-time updates on arrivals and departures.
- Plan ahead and check the entire journey, especially for those traveling on the first and last trains of strike days.
Reasons behind the rail workers’ strike
In response to the ongoing industrial action, the RMT accuses train operators of not presenting a new pay offer to resolve the dispute. RMT general secretary, Mick Lynch, expresses the union’s openness to negotiations and highlights the lack of effort from both the operating companies and government ministers to arrange meetings or propose a reasonable solution.
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