London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Monday, Jun 23, 2025

Train strikes: People returning to work face more strikes

Train strikes: People returning to work face more strikes

People returning to work this week after the Christmas break are being urged to avoid travelling by rail because of strikes.

The walkouts by RMT members on 3-4 and 6-7 January, and by Aslef drivers on 5 January, will "significantly impact" services, said Network Rail.

RMT union members have rejected offers in a dispute over pay, job security and working conditions.

Train drivers at 15 rail companies, in the Aslef union, are striking over pay.

Network Rail - which maintains the rails, signals and stations - said the combination of strikes will result in only about 20% of services running, with many areas not seeing any trains at all.

Services across England, Scotland and Wales could be affected by the strikes.

"We're sorry to have to, once again, ask passengers to avoid using the railway this week," a spokesperson from Network Rail said.

The Rail Delivery Group (RDG), which represents the train operating companies, also urged people only to travel if "absolutely necessary".

Trains that do run will start later and finish much earlier than usual, with services typically running between 7:30am and 6.30pm on the days of the strike.

There may also be some knock-on disruption to services on 8 January.

Passengers are being advised to allow extra time for their journeys and to check before they travel.

It is the latest in a series of strikes across the rail network, which have caused major disruption.

The two 48-hour walkouts on Tuesday and Friday involve around 40,000 RMT members on Network Rail and 14 train operators.

The RMT's general secretary Mick Lynch insisted that his members wanted a settlement, not further disruption.

"There's been too much disruption on the railway caused by government policy and if we can get sensible proposals we can work up towards a solution," Mr Lynch told the BBC.

He accused government ministers of "sitting on their hands" and failing to help secure a deal.

"They keep saying that they're facilitating a deal. And I think it's absolutely the opposite to that."

However, a Department for Transport spokesperson rejected this, saying: "The government has demonstrated it is being reasonable and stands ready to facilitate a resolution to rail disputes.

"It's time the unions came to the table and played their part as well."

Meanwhile, Network Rail said the deal it has put forward to the RMT is "fair and reasonable", and urged the union to "sit down with us" and revisit it.

Separately, the Aslef strike involves train drivers across 15 rail companies.

The one-day strike will result in even fewer services running, with some operators expected to run "very significantly reduced timetables", the RDG warned.

The Aslef union said it had been pushed into taking action because the train companies had not put forward an offer.

"Six months after we had the temerity to ask for a pay rise for train drivers who have, now, not had an increase for nearly four years, we have still not had an offer from the train companies which employ us," Keith Richmond, Aslef's spokesman, told the BBC.

"The companies, or the government which stands behind them, could end this dispute now by making a serious and sensible pay offer. It is up to them."

Daniel Mann, director of industry operations at the RDG, said no-one wanted to see the strikes go ahead.

"This dispute will only be resolved by agreeing the long-overdue reforms to working arrangements needed to put the industry on a sustainable footing, rather than unions condemning their members to losing more pay in the new year."

The rail industry is under pressure to save money after the pandemic left a hole in its finances. Bosses say reforms need to be agreed to afford pay increases and modernise the railway.

But unions say salaries should increase to reflect the rising cost of living.

The rail strikes come at a time of widespread industry walkouts across the country.

Ambulance drivers, nurses, driving examiners, highway workers and postal workers have all gone on strike in recent weeks.


Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Starmer Invites Innovators to Join Government Talent Scheme
UK Economy’s Strong Opening Quarter Shows Signs of Cooling
Harrods Seeks Court Order to Secure Al Fayed Estate for Victims
BA and Singapore Airlines Cancel Dubai Flights Amid Middle East Tensions
Trump Faces Backlash from MAGA Base Over Iran Strikes
Meta Bets $14 B on Alexandr Wang to Drive AI Ambitions
WATCH: Israeli forces show the aftermath of a massive airstrike at Iran's Isfahan nuclear site
FedEx Founder Fred Smith, ‘Heart and Soul’ of the Company, Dies at 80
Chinese Factories Shift Away from U.S. Amid Trump‑Era Tariffs
Pimco Seizes Opportunity in Japan’s Dislocated Bond Market
Labubu Doll Drives Pop Mart to Status as China’s Most Valuable Toy Maker
Global Coal Demand Defies Paris Accord Goals
We have new information and breaking details to share about what is shaping up to be a historic air campaign tonight
Six Massive Bombs Dropped on Fordow; Trump: 'A Historic Moment for the U.S., Israel, and the World'
Fordow: Deeply Buried Iranian Enrichment Site in U.S.–Israel Crosshairs
United States Conducts Precision Strikes on Iran’s Nuclear Sites
US strikes Iran nuclear sites, Trump says
Pakistan to nominate Trump for Nobel Peace Prize.
BBC Demands Perplexity AI Immediately Stop Using Its Content
Telegram Founder: I Will Leave My Fortune to Over 100 of My Children
Political Turmoil Resurfaces in Belgium Amid Economic Concerns
Fed policymakers divided on timing of interest rate cuts
Trump signals imminent agreement with Harvard University
Inheritance tax referendum alarms Swiss billionaire community
Japan cancels bilateral security meeting amid US defence demands
AI skeptic Emily Bender warns that ‘the emperor has no clothes’
Israel Confirms Assassination of Quds Force Commander in Tehran
16 Billion Login Credentials Leaked in Unprecedented Cybersecurity Breach
Senate hearing on who was 'really running' Biden White House kicks off
Iranian Military Officers Reportedly Seek Contact with Reza Pahlavi, Signal Intent to Defect
FBI and Senate Investigate Allegations of Chinese Plot to Influence the 2020 Election in Biden’s Favor Using Fake U.S. Driver’s Licenses
Vietnam Emerges as Luxury Yacht Destination for Ultra‑Rich
Plans to Sell Dutch Embassy in Bangkok Face Local Opposition
China's Iranian Oil Imports Face Disruption Amid Escalating Middle East Tensions
Trump's $5 Million 'Trump Card' Visa Program Draws Nearly 70,000 Applicants
DGCA Finds No Major Safety Concerns in Air India's Boeing 787 Fleet
Airlines Reroute Flights Amid Expanding Middle East Conflict Zones
Elon Musk's xAI Seeks $9.3 Billion in Funding Amid AI Expansion
Trump Demands Iran's Unconditional Surrender Amid Escalating Conflict
Israeli Airstrike Targets Iranian State TV in Central Tehran
President Trump is leaving the G7 summit early and has ordered the National Security Council to the Situation Room
Taiwan Imposes Export Ban on Chips to Huawei and SMIC
Israel has just announced plans to strike Tehran again, and in response, Trump has urged people to evacuate
Netanyahu Signals Potential Regime Change in Iran
Juncker Criticizes EU Inaction on Trump Tariffs
EU Proposes Ban on New Russian Gas Contracts
Analysts Warn Iran May Resort to Unconventional Warfare
Iranian Regime Faces Existential Threat Amid Conflict
Energy Infrastructure Becomes War Zone in Middle East
UK Home Secretary Apologizes Over Child Grooming Failures
×