Trains are an incredibly popular way to travel, and whether it’s for business or leisure doesn’t matter. Some of us rely on them every day for work or education commuting whereas others rely on them when they’ve planned a trip away.

However, anyone who relies on the railway as their primary mode of transportation will have to look elsewhere on particular days in December and January due to industrial action. Train services across the whole of the UK will be experiencing a significant reduction right up into the New Year. Until January 8th at the latest.

Here’s everything you need to know about the railway strikes. From the dates of disruption to the reason behind the striking.

What Are The Dates of the Train Strikes?

RMT Rail Workers’ Union announced that they’re putting on a series of strikes throughout December and January, all scheduled to be 48 hours.

Last week – December 13, 14, 15, 16 – saw the first train strikes in December taking place. But there’s more strikes to come in the following weeks.

Industrial Action for December 2022

Strike action is scheduled to take place the days running up to, during, and after Christmas:

  • From 6PM on Saturday 24 until 6AM on Tuesday 27 December.

As this is industrial action happening on a national level, it will likely affect most train companies in Britain.

Although the train sector is making every effort to reduce the impact this would have on services, there will inevitably be service cancellations or significant service disruptions. On some days, there can be very little service, possibly even none at all in some areas.

Many services, therefore, will be much busier than usual. Services may potentially begin later on days after the strike has ended.

Industrial Action for January 2023

There are forthcoming 48 hours strikes scheduled in January 2023 which will, once again, affect the rail network on a national level:

  • Tuesday 3 and Wednesday 4 January 2023
  • Friday 6 and Saturday 7 January 2023

Similarly, some services around these dates will be busier and the trains will be less frequent. Some services won’t even be running at all and many other areas will experience multiple disruptions or cancellations.

What To Do If Strike Action Is Cancelled

If any union suddenly decides to call off or halt scheduled strike action, railway companies may not have the ability to reinstate their regular schedules in time.

The multifaceted and interconnected systems that rail services depend on necessitate a lengthy restoration process. You can check the National Rail website for information on regular running schedules in the event of a strike cancellation.

Why Are The Railway Workers Striking?

Rail companies and the government are at odds with the unions due to the pay, job losses, and terms and conditions modifications. Unions dispute that any compensation offer should take the rising cost of living into account.

But due to the pandemic’s financial impact, the rail sector is under pressure to save money. As part of reforms to the way its maintenance teams operate, Network Rail intends to eliminate 1,900 jobs.

Opposing this, the RMT wants an assurance that no mandatory job losses will occur and they object to several of the proposals.

Check Before Travelling

The National Rail Enquiries Journey Planner does not yet have all the information regarding services on the strike days, however the information for December is there.

For travel in January, check back closer to the date of the scheduled strike action.

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