All the rail strike dates for January and the services…

All the rail strike dates for January and the services affected

More train strikes are set to bring the UK's railways to a standstill once again as the new year gets underway.

Industrial action by members of the Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) and the Aslef unions will cause disruption for train passengers nationally as people return to work after the Christmas break. People are being warned only to travel if absolutely necessary, to allow extra time and to check when first and last trains will depart.

Manchester Piccadilly, the second busiest station in the United Kingdom outside London, will see just four trains leave per hour during the RMT strikes on January 3-4, and 6-7. The walk outs will be the latest in an ongoing series of industrial action which has affected train services since last summer.

Picket lines will again appear outside railway stations across the country in a repeat of what became a familiar sight last year. Workers are striking over pay disputes, conditions and jobs.

Mick Lynch, RMT general secretary, said there “is an unprecedented level of ministerial interference” preventing a settlement to the dispute. He said: “The Government is blocking the union’s attempts to reach a negotiated settlement with the rail employers.

"We have worked with the rail industry to reach successful negotiated settlements ever since privatisation in 1993, and we have achieved deals across the network in 2021 and 2022 where the Department for Transport has no involvement.

Thousands of workers will walk out this week affecting train services across the country (Getty Images)

"Yet in this dispute, there is an unprecedented level of ministerial interference, which is hamstringing rail employers from being able to negotiate a package of measures with us, so we can settle this dispute. We will continue our industrial action campaign while we work towards a negotiated resolution.”

A Department for Transport spokesperson said: “Passengers have rightly had enough of rail strikes and want the disruption to end. The Government has demonstrated it is being reasonable and stands ready to facilitate a resolution to rail disputes. It’s time the unions came to the table and played their part as well.

“Inflation-matching pay increases for all public sector workers would cost everyone more in the long term – worsening debt, fuelling inflation, and costing every household an extra £1,000. Unions should step back from this strike action so we can start 2023 by ending this damaging dispute.”

Here are the train strikes to be aware of this January.