Britain will face further travel disruptions this month after 20,000 rail workers brace for three days of strikes in their long-running dispute over wages.
Members of the Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) union will again walk out of 14 train operators across England, after the companies failed to make a revised payment offer.
The latest strike will affect fans hoping to attend two of the Ashes Tests and The Open Championship golf tournaments.
It comes as train conductors in 16 railway operators. have refused to work overtime for six days in July, threatening to disrupt travel for tennis fans heading to Wimbledon.
When are the next train strikes?
The RMT said that 20,000 railway workers, including station staff, train managers and catering workers, across the UK will go on strike over the following days:
- Thursday July 20
- Saturday July 22
- Saturday July 29
The three day strike will affect cricket fans traveling to the fourth and fifth ash tests.
The fourth Ashes Test will take place at Old Trafford in Manchester between Wednesday July 19 and Sunday July 23. The fifth Test in London will take place from Thursday, July 27 to Monday, July 31.
Strikes also collide with the open championshipwhich will take place from Thursday July 20 to Sunday July 23 at the Royal Liverpool Golf Club.
Meanwhile, the overtime ban on Aslef train drivers, which could lead to last-minute cancellations, will be in place for six days, from Monday July 3 to Saturday July 8.
The industrial action coincides with the first week of this year’s Wimbledon tournamentwhich began on Monday, July 3.
It comes after strikes by RMT and Aslef wreaked havoc with rail passengers in May, including thousands who attended the FA Cup final at Wembley, the Epsom Derby, the “Renaissance” world tour concert of Beyoncé at the Tottenham Hotspur stadium and the Eurovision final in Liverpool. .
Which railway companies are affected?
The members of the RMT will go on strike in 14 railway companies, among them:
- Avanti West Coast
- C2C
- Chiltern Railways
- Cross country
- East Midlands Railway
- GTR (includes Southern, Thameslink, Great Northern and Gatwick Express)
- Great Western Railway
- Greater Anglia (includes Stansted Express)
- LNER
- Northern Trains
- Southeastern
- southwestern railway
- transpennine express
- West Midlands Trains
- GTR operates Southern, Thameslink, Great Northern and Gatwick Express.
The level of disruption of the Aslef overtime ban will vary for different operators. The affected train companies are:
- Avanti West Coast
- Chiltern Railways
- Cross country
- East Midlands Railway
- Great Anglia
- GWR
- GTR Great Northern Thameslink
- island line
- LNER
- Northern Trains
- Southeastern
- From the south
- gatwick express
- Southwest Railway Main Line
- SWR Reservoir Drivers
- transpennine express
- West Midlands Trains.
Tips for Traveling During Train Strikes
National Rail is warning passengers to expect “significant disruption” during strike days. It is also possible that services will be interrupted and start later the day immediately after.
National Rail has recommended that passengers:
- Use your trip planner. Riders should check in close to the time of each strike date.
- Use your Live Trains page for the most up-to-date information on arrivals and departures.
- Plan ahead and check before you travel. This includes checking your entire journey, especially if you are traveling on the first and last train on strike days.
Closure of train station ticket offices
Most the ticket offices of the train station are being closed and staff moved to the station platform and concourse duties, according to Rail Delivery Group (RDG). The ticketing facilities will remain open only at the busiest stations.
Signs are being displayed at stations informing passengers of potential closures. The Government will make the final decision on which offices will be removed after consultation. It is not known how quickly the first offices will close, but the closure schedule is expected to last three years.
Why are 20,000 railway workers on strike again?
The RMT has accused the train operators of failing to make a new wage offer to end the long-running industrial action.
RMT General Secretary Mick Lynch said: “My negotiating team and I are available 24/7 to talk to train operating companies and government ministers.
“However, incredibly, neither party has made any attempt to arrange meetings or come up with a decent offer that could help us reach a negotiated solution.”