Commuters and other train users are in for a further bout of miserable travel after unions announced strike action for July and August.
Mass walkouts organised by the National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers (RMT) will impact Network Rail and 14 train operating companies, bringing services to their knees for at least three days across July and August.
Two more unions are also joining the summer of disruption, meaning tricky journeys for those commuting to work or trying to move around Britain during the warmer months.
The latest decision comes on top of three days of picketing by RMT railway workers last month as unions continue to haggle over a new pay deal for members in a bid to counter soaring inflation.
And with other unions still to declare their agreed strike days, The Mirror has a rundown of when to be braced for a difficult rail journey.
When are rail workers striking?
The RMT has announced that its members will strike on Wednesday July 27, Thursday August 18 and Saturday August 20.
The effects of the decision will be felt across the country due to the sheer number of staff from each company agreeing not to work in a bid to pressure bosses into renegotiating a wage package.
Network Rail, the body that runs the railway infrastructure such as the tracks, will be severely hit.
The route operators impacted by the RMT walkout will be:
- Chiltern Railways
- Cross Country Trains
- Thameslink
- Greater Anglia
- London North Eastern Railway (LNER)
- East Midlands Railway
- c2c
- Great Western Railway (GWR)
- Northern Trains
- South Eastern
- South Western Railway
- Transpennine Express
- Avanti West Coast
- West Midlands Trains
Separately, another travel union, the Transport Salaried Staffs' Association (TSSA), has announced its members at Avanti West Coast will also strike on July 27, to coincide with the RMT action.
Avanti is the west coast mainline operator which runs trains between London, Birmingham, Manchester, Liverpool and Glasgow.
TSSA members employed by the company deal with customers, tickets and carry out station platform duties.
The RMT and TSSA action will begin at 2am on July 27 in Network Rail, and 12.01am on July 27 for the 14 train operating companies. Each action will last 24 hours.
It is believed as many of 40,000 workers could join the three-day strikes.
What is the RMT strike about?
RMT chiefs have rejected a new pay offer from Network Rail.
General secretary Mick Lynch - who found social media fame after his no-nonsense media interviews during the June strikes - described the proposal put on the table as "paltry".
Network Rail put forward a 4% pay rise, backdated to January.
It also offered another 2% hike next year and a further 2% conditional on achieving "modernisation milestones".
The RMT said it has yet to receive a pay offer or guarantees over job losses from the train operating companies.
Network Rail has described the offer as “fair and affordable”.
Boss Andrew Haines slammed the RMT for timing the strike to impact those looking to get to the opening of the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham on Thursday July 28.
A new dynamic in the tussle between the union, train companies and Network Rail is that Tory MPs have approved a law that will allow striking workers to be replaced by agency staff.
The move means firms might be able to honour more of their planned timetable than during past action by controversially bringing in temporary workers.
Will there be more rail strikes?
Yes, certainly. Train drivers who are part of the Aslef union have also agreed to strike over dissatisfaction with their current pay offer.
Union chiefs have chosen Saturday July 30 as the date for when the employees will refuse to work.
The chosen date, along with RMT's July action, is likely to make it difficult for spectators heading to watch the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham.
The move will put the brakes on many trains run by:
- Chiltern
- GWR
- LNER
- London Overground (Arriva Rail London)
- Northern Trains
- Southeastern
- Hull Trains
- West Midlands
Meanwhile, TSSA have secured the backing of almost 700 members at GWR, which runs popular summer services to Cornwall, for a walkout.
Chiefs at TSSA have not yet named a date for GWR industrial action.
Aslef still has ballots running in regard to future strikes by train-driving members working for Avanti, Cross Country, Northern Trains, TransPennine Express and Transport for Wales.
Aslef and TSSA legally have to give 14 days notice of a walkout.
Those terms mean that, should Aslef's members prove to be in favour of walking out, subsequent action by Aslef and TSSA could be scheduled for August and September, prolonging the so-called "summer of discontent".
