UK set to face more RAIL CHAOS as three-day rail strike to cause six days of disruption

There will be a very limited service running on the lines and Network Rail has said that only approximately half of the UK’s network will be open.

Train operators at Network Rail are planning on walking out next week on Tuesday 21 June, Thursday 23 June and Saturday 25 June. This comes as the operators are in dispute over pay and redundancies.

Andrew Haines, Network Rail chief executive, said: “Talks have not progressed as far as I had hoped and so we must prepare for a needless national rail strike and the damaging impact it will have.”

“We, and our train operating colleagues, are gearing up to run the best service we can for passengers and freight users next week despite the actions of the National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers (RMT).”

Steve Montgomery, Chair of the Rail Delivery Group, said: “These strikes will affect the millions of people who use the train each day, including key workers, students with exams, those who cannot work from home, holidaymakers and those attending important business and leisure events.”

“Working with Network Rail, our plan is to keep as many services running as possible, but significant disruption will be inevitable and some parts of the network will not have a service, so passengers should plan their journeys carefully and check their train times.”

“Taxpayers have provided the equivalent of about £600 per household since covid and passenger numbers are still only at around 75 per cent of pre-pandemic levels. We need to bring rail up to date so that we attract more people back and take no more than our fair share from the public purse.”

“We ask the RMT’s leadership to call off these damaging strikes and continue talks to reach a deal that is fair to staff and taxpayers, and which secures a bright, long-term future of our railways.”