Travellers have been hit by train strikes galore in recent weeks, and August is set to bring more misery for rail passengers as the summer of discontent shows no signs of abating.
In the last week of July, both the National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers (RMT) and the Transport Salaried Staffs’ Association (TSSA) pressed ahead with industrial action.
The union workforce’s decision brought huge UK train routes to a near standstill, with a much reduced service or none at all in the worst-hit cases.
Action in the peak tourist season of August is likely to have a similar impact.
When are train strikes in August?
Those looking to travel the country or even go on holiday could be severely impacted by strikes throughout August.
The Associated Society of Locomotive Engineers and Firemen ( Aslef ) confirmed its members will walk out on Saturday August 13.
Meanwhile, RMT members at Network Rail and a further 14 train operators are planning to strike on Thursday August 18 and Saturday August 20, in a long-running dispute.
TSSA will co-ordinate on the strike days, meaning that around 40,000 workers will refuse to work, with thousands likely to join pickets outside stations.
RMT has also announced a strike on London Underground on Friday August 19.
What routes are affected by the August rail strikes?
Aslef’s walkout on Saturday August 13 will see nine major routes impacted.
Drivers at Avanti West Coast and CrossCountry voted by more than nine to one to go on strike.
They will strike alongside drivers at Greater Anglia, Great Western Railway, Hull Trains, LNER, London Overground, Southeastern and West Midlands Trains.
Aslef’s plan will see more than 6,000 drivers refuse to step foot in their cabs.
Only days later, joint action by RMT and TSSA will impact every corner of the UK’s rail system.
The companies preparing for strikes on August 18 and 20 are:
- Network Rail
- Chiltern Railways
- Cross Country Trains
- Greater Anglia
- LNER
- East Midlands Railway
- C2c
- Great Western Railway
- Northern Trains
- South Eastern
- South Western Railway
- Transpennine Express
- Avanti West Coast
- West Midlands Trains
- GTR (including Gatwick Express).
Why are rail workers striking?
Mick Whelan, general secretary of Aslef, said many of his union’s members had not had a pay rise since 2019 and want a better offer than is on the table.
RMT general secretary Mick Lynch said union members are more determined than ever to secure a decent pay rise, job security and good working conditions.
Mr Lynch has accused Network Rail of “threatening to impose compulsory redundancies and unsafe 50% cuts to maintenance work” if strike action was not withdrawn.
He added: “The train operating companies have put driver-only operations on the table along with ransacking our members’ terms and conditions.”
Network Rail chief executive Andrew Haines accused union bosses of being “hell-bent on continuing their political campaigning, rather than compromising and agreeing a deal for their members”.
Steve Montgomery, chairman of the Rail Delivery Group, which represents the sector, said the advice was to only travel if necessary and to expect disruption.
