Rail passengers facing disruption as train strikes resume – business live

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Rail network operators are warning passengers only to travel if ‘absolutely necessary’ on strike days.

The message is:

The railway will operate limited opening hours with services starting later than normal and finishing in the late afternoon.

Some stations will not be served on strike days. Please check your first and last trains carefully, as there will be no alternative travel outside of these services.

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Passengers have been warned to expect major disruption on the railway network today as rail workers hold their second 48-hour strike this week.

Train services around Britain will be severely disrupted, as members of the RMT union begin their latest strike in the ongoing dispute over pay and conditions.

Passengers have been advised to only attempt to travel by train if necessary.

National Rail say it is “inevitable that services will be cancelled or severely disrupted”, with a limited service on the network and likely to be no trains at all on some routes.

Around 20% of normal services are expected to run between 7.30am and 6.30pm on both Friday and Saturday.

Eurostar is running a revised timetable between 13 and 17 December, due to the strike action.

Motorists in parts of England could also potentially face worsened disruption, with the first of 12 days of rolling regional strikes by members of the PCS union at National Highways also starting on Friday.

Although no roads will be closed, any major incident could result in longer delays with fewer control room staff or traffic officers available.

Here’s our latest news story on the rail strikes:

Today’s RMT strike is taking place after a meeting on Thursday failed to break the deadlock.

The RMT said:

“RMT attended talks convened by the rail minister Huw Merriman tonight (Thursday) including Network Rail and the Rail Delivery Group and agreed to further discussions.”

RMT general secretary Mick Lynch said that the minister requested further talks between the RMT and the employers in order to find resolutions, adding that:

“These meetings will be arranged but, in the meantime, all industrial action remains in place.”

However, members of a smaller union, the Transport Salaried Staffs Association (TSSA), at Network Rail have voted to accept an improved pay deal.

The TSSA said yesterday union it has already suspended strike action, after 85% of its members voted in favour of the offer, which includes a minimum 9% pay rise by January, job security to 2025, and guarantees on terms and conditions.

The offer, a two-year deal covering the missed January 2022 pay rise and 2023, was rejected last week by the RMT, though.

Another strike scheduled for today, amongst ground handling staff at Heathrow, has also been suspended while an improved pay deal is put to staff. That should avert disruption at the airport this weekend.

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