Rail strikes this weekend set to cause travel disruption for hundreds …
Members of the Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT)[1] and Aslef[2] unions employed by train operators across England will continue their walkout this weekend in a long-running dispute over jobs, pay and conditions[3].
The strike will affect hundreds of thousands of passengers travelling to various high-profile sporting and culture events, including the FA Cup final between Manchester City and Manchester United[4], the Epsom Derby[5], and Beyoncé’s Renaissance world tour concert[6].
When are the train strikes taking place?
RMT members started their fresh walkout on Friday, 2 June.
Members of the drivers’ union Aslef, who walked out on Wednesday, will strike again on Saturday, 3 June, in their dispute over pay.
Are any trains running this weekend?
Only about half of normal services are running due to the strike by RMT members at most train companies in England.
The Rail Delivery Group (RDG) said about 40 per cent of trains will run on Saturday but there will be wide regional variations with some operators entirely shut down for the day.
National Rail has said there will be a reduced service across the network on 12, 13, 31 May and 3 June.
It warned passengers “trains will be busier, and are likely to start later and finish earlier, with no services at all in some places”.
Avanti West Coast[7], Chiltern Railways and CrossCountry are among the train operators that will not be running any services at all on Saturday.
A list of the train companies affected
- Avanti West Coast
- c2c (2 June only)
- Chiltern Railways
- CrossCountry
- East Midlands Railway
- Gatwick Express
- Great Northern
- Great Western Railway
- Greater Anglia
- Heathrow Express (3 June only)
- Island Line
- LNER
- London Northwestern Railway
- Northern
- South Western Railway
- Southeastern
- Southern
- Stansted Express
- Thameslink
- TransPennine Express
- West Midlands Railway
Passengers are advised to check their journeys before they travel and visit the National Rail’s Live Trains page[8] or their individual train operator’s website for the most up to date information.
While there is no strike action planned on Sunday, some services are likely to be disrupted and start later.
Why are rail workers striking?
The unions argue they have not been given a pay offer they can recommend to their members.
Aslef says train drivers have not had a pay rise for four years.
The union’s general secretary Mick Whelan has indicated they will not back down if their demands are not met.
He said: “We are determined to get a resolution and remain in this for the long haul.”
Both RMT and Aslef claim the Government is preventing the train companies from making an acceptable offer, which ministers deny.
Mick Whelan[9] said: “It is time for the Government to step back from interference which is preventing a deal. Drivers, in line with other workers, deserve a pay rise after four years without one and inflation running, over the last 12 months, north of 10 per cent.”
RMT general secretary Mick Lynch, who joined striking workers on a picket line outside Euston station on Friday, said the walkouts have prevented plans being implemented that would have negatively affected the railway.
Mr Lynch said: “They wanted to make thousands of our people redundant, they wanted to shut every booking office in Britain, restructure our engineering workers, cut the catering service.
“So we’ve pushed them back on that, they haven’t been able to implement any of their plans.
How has the Government responded?
A Department for Transport[10] spokesperson said: “These strikes have been co-ordinated by union leaders to disrupt passengers in a week which will see major events such as the first-ever all-Manchester FA Cup final, the Epsom Derby and a number of concerts and festivals across the UK.
“Not content with impacting the hundreds of thousands of people who have looked forward to these events all year round, unions are also targeting their own members’ pockets by forcing them to miss out on pay every time they strike.
“The Government has facilitated a fair and reasonable pay offer, now union leaders must do the right thing and put this to their members.”
What have the train operators said?
The RDG, which represents train operators, has accused the unions of “taking money out of members’ pockets” as a result of their continued walkouts and rejection of the pay offer.
They’ve called on RMT leaders to “engage seriously” with the financial challenges the industry faces and come back to the negotiating table.
A spokesperson for the RDG said: “The only thing they have achieved is continuing to take money out of their members’ pockets, inflicting misery on thousands of people and damaging an industry which is vital to Britain’s economy and their own members’ livelihoods.
“We urge the RMT leadership to engage seriously with the financial challenges the industry faces, agree between them what they want from the negotiation and come back to the table, so we can resolve this dispute for the sake of everyone who relies on the railway.”
How will the roads be affected?
With all the disruption on the train lines, passengers are expected to turn to their cars and other forms of road transport to reach their destinations.
The strikes are likely to have a knock-on effect on the roads, in some cases making them “exceptionally busy”.
Tony Rich, AA spokesperson said: “The roads over the weekend are likely to be much busier than usual with people returning from half-term breaks, rail strikes and the FA Cup Final.
“Our advice is to plan ahead and keep an eye on AA Route Planner and travel announcements.
“With strike action also planned for Saturday 3rd June, FA Cup Final Day, the best mode of travel for football fans will be the official coaches and the extra coaches put on by the FA.”
Which roads are expected to be the busiest?
- M5
- M6
- M62
- M42
- M40
- M1
- A34
- A303
- M60
- All routes into Manchester, London and many other major cities
City supporters encouraged to take the ‘blue’ route and United fans the ‘red’ route
Mr Rich added: “For those who plan to drive themselves to Wembley Stadium, they are advised to set off early, using alternative routes where possible as most major roads are likely to be busy with coaches carrying supporters to the game. To spread the load of traffic, City supporters are encouraged to take the ‘blue’ route via M62/M1 and M6 toll/M1 and United fans to follow the ‘red’ route via M6/M42/M40.”
Motorway Service Areas are likely to be incredibly busy on Saturday as football fans travelling to Wembley stop off en route. Mr Rich suggested non-football fans may wish to avoid services that will see a surge in customers.
He added: “There are many great places to stop off just a few miles from the motorway network including monuments and local towns and villages. We also advise drivers to make sure they have plenty of fuel or electric charge for their journeys in case there is restricted access to some motorway service areas along their route.”
RAC Breakdown spokesperson Simon Williams said: “We expect roads to be exceptionally busy, not least as the FA Cup Final coincides with the end of half-term in many parts of the country. Planning is vital, so drivers should allow significantly longer for their journeys than normal.”
References
- ^ Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) (inews.co.uk)
- ^ Aslef (inews.co.uk)
- ^ long-running dispute over jobs, pay and conditions (inews.co.uk)
- ^ FA Cup final between Manchester City and Manchester United (inews.co.uk)
- ^ Epsom Derby (inews.co.uk)
- ^ Beyoncé’s Renaissance world tour concert (inews.co.uk)
- ^ Avanti West Coast (inews.co.uk)
- ^ National Rail’s Live Trains page (www.nationalrail.co.uk)
- ^ Mick Whelan (inews.co.uk)
- ^ Department for Transport (inews.co.uk)