Boxing Day shoppers brace for travel chaos as trains axed – live

In a tweet on Saturday afternoon, the organisation that runs the nation’s rail infrastructure advised passengers to “only travel by train if absolutely necessary” between 24 December to 8 January.

Strikes by the RMT and Aslef unions will affect 11 of the 16 days over Christmas and New Year, with overtime bans and planned engineering work hitting services on the remaining days.

Members of the Public and Commercial Services (PCS) union who normally check passports will strike from 23 December until the end of the year, with the exception of 27 December.

UK Border Force staff will also strike at the port of Newhaven in East Sussex on the same dates.Almost two million passengers are booked to fly into the affected airports during the stoppages.

Could their festive flights be disrupted – and what are the airports and airlines saying?

British rail passengers face a difficult Christmas and New Year as the ongoing wave of strikes threatens to disrupt the festive season.

More than 40,000 workers across Network Rail and 14 train operating companies who are members of the RMT union will stage a series of walkouts over the next few weeks as part of a long-running dispute over wage stagnation and working conditions.

The NHS is close “overheating completely” during one of its darkest ever winters, health leaders have warned, as union leaders stepped up their pay dispute with Rishi Sunak’s government and announced that more strikes are set to take place in January.

Network Rail has warned travellers to avoid trains until 9 January as thousands of Britons scramble to get home on Christmas Eve.

Strikes by the RMT and Aslef unions will affect 11 of the 16 days over Christmas and New Year, with overtime bans and planned engineering work hitting services on the remaining days.

Maryam Zakir-Hussain, Simon Calder report:

Rishi Sunak has been challenged about accusations he has been missing in action over strikes as unions warned unprecedented travel chaos across the country could continue for at least another six months.

Shoppers are expected to spend 4 per cent less on Boxing Day and during the post-Christmas sales as the cost-of-living crisis continues to bite, according to new data.

Research by Barclaycard Payments found that the average shopper intends to buy £229 worth of items in the post-Christmas sales period, a reduction of £18 compared with 2021.

More in this report by Henry Saker-Clark:

Boxing Day is expected to see travel chaos as thousands are forced to make alternative plans due to ongoing rail strikes.

Network Rail said Britain’s railways will remain closed for a second consecutive day due to a walkout by employees who are members of the Rail, Maritime and Transport union (RMT).

Maryam Zakir-Hussain reports:

Rail fares in England will increase by up almost 6 per cent from, capping a torrid period for passengers hit by ongoing strikes, cancellations and delays.

Alastair Jamieson reports:

The RMT rail strike will continue, meaning limited Boxing Day services are likely to be cancelled.

TSSA members at operator CrossCountry are also set to strike.

PCS members with Border Force will continue their strike.

Unison staff at the Environment Agency will refuse to volunteer to attend incidents until 9am.

The RMT rail strike continues until 6am.

The TSSA strike at CrossCountry continues.

London bus workers at Abellio will go on strike.

The planned strike by ambulance workers in the GMB union has now been suspended.

DVSA driving examiners’ strikes will start in the West Midlands, the Eastern region and the East Midlands.

TSSA members working for Great Western Railway (GWR) and West Midlands Trains (WMT) will strike from 12pm.

PCS members with Border Force will continue their strike.

The DVSA strike continues in the West Midlands, the Eastern region and the East Midlands.

TSSA strikes at GWR and WMT will continue.

PCS members with Border Force will continue their strike.

Road strikes by National Highways employees will begin in the West Midlands and the South West.

The DVSA strike continues in the West Midlands, the Eastern region and the East Midlands.

PCS members with Border Force will continue their strike.

London bus workers at Abellio to strike.

Road strikes by National Highways employees will continue in the West Midlands and the South West.

Unison staff at the Environment Agency will refuse to volunteer to attend incidents.

PCS members with Border Force will continue their strike.