Next month, the United Kingdom is set to face more travel disruptions as 20,000 rail workers prepare for a three-day strike over pay issues. The Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) union members will go on strike at 14 train operators across England after the companies failed to provide a revised pay offer.
This strike will particularly impact cricket fans hoping to attend two of the Ashes Tests, as well as golf enthusiasts planning to attend The Open Championship next month. The strike action is also compounded by train drivers at 16 rail operators who have refused to work overtime for six days in July, posing a threat to the travel plans of tennis fans heading to Wimbledon.
When will the next train strikes occur?
The RMT has announced that 20,000 rail workers, including station staff, train managers, and catering workers across the UK, will go on strike on July 20, 22, and 29. These three strike days will significantly impact cricket fans traveling to the fourth and fifth Ashes Tests. The fourth Ashes Test will take place at Old Trafford between July 19 and July 23, while the fifth Test in London will run from July 27 to July 31.
These strikes also coincide with The Open Championship at the Royal Liverpool Golf Club, which will run from July 20 to July 23.
Simultaneously, an overtime ban on Aslef train drivers from six days, July 3 to July 8, aligns with the first week of Wimbledon, starting on July 3.
This industrial action follows previous strikes by the RMT and Aslef in May, which severely disrupted rail travel for thousands of people attending events such as the FA Cup final, the Epsom Derby, Beyoncé’s “Renaissance” world tour concert at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, and the Eurovision final in Liverpool.
Which rail companies will be affected?
The RMT members 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 among 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
- West Midlands Trains
Advice for traveling during train strikes
National Rail has warned passengers to expect “significant disruption” during strike days. Services are also likely to be disrupted and may start later on the day immediately following the strikes.
National Rail advises passengers to:
- Use its Journey Planner tool and check close to each strike date.
- Refer to its Live Trains page for the most up-to-date information on arrivals and departures.
- Plan ahead and check before traveling, especially if you plan to take the first or 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 to resolve the ongoing industrial action. RMT General Secretary Mick Lynch expressed his frustration at the lack of effort from both the train operating companies and government ministers to arrange meetings and offer a reasonable solution.
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