Paddington station deserted as train strikes continue on Boxing Day
Rail passengers have been warned to prepare for “significantly disrupted” travel into the New Year amid a wave of industrial strikes sweeping across the country.
The Network Rail warning came as members of the Transport Salaried Staffs’ Association (TSSA) at CrossCountry staged a 24-hour strike from 9pm on Boxing Day as part of a long-running campaign for a guarantee of no compulsory redundancies, no unagreed changes to terms and conditions, and a pay increase which addresses the rising cost of living.
Network Rail have urged people to plan ahead and check before they depart as “industrial action means rail travel will be significantly disrupted throughout December and January”.
The 48-hour strike called by the Rail, Maritime and Transport union (RMT) in a separate dispute over jobs, pay and conditions which began on Christmas Eve runs to Tuesday at 6am.
The TSSA union believes that walkouts by staff will severely affect services at CrossCountry, which covers large swathes of the country, from Penzance to the Midlands, Wales and northern England through to Scottish cities as far north as Aberdeen.
Strikes are a symptom of the problem – not the cause
As part of our series looking at strikes, Unison leader Christina McAnea warns that more lives will be put at risk.
Namita Singh27 December 2022 05:50
What does Britain really think about the strikes?
As unions and government continue their stand-off, voters are still backing the workers who have chosen to walk out, polling finds – and they support more strikes in the new year, Adam Forrest reports.
What does Britain really think about the strikes?
As unions and government continue their stand-off, voters are still backing the workers who have chosen to walk out, polling finds – and they support more strikes in the new year, Adam Forrest reports
Namita Singh27 December 2022 05:30
ICYMI: Total shutdown of railway but coaches and ferries running on time
As the latest rail strike continues into its third day, Britain’s railways are at a standstill – with a warning to many passengers to avoid all but essential travel until 9 January.
But many people are on the move within the UK, with flights, ferries and long-distance coaches already busy.
Our travel correspondent Simon Calder reports:
Namita Singh27 December 2022 05:10
Roads busy with football fans and shoppers amid Boxing Day rail strike
Motorists faced disruption on Boxing Day as motorway traffic crawled along at 15mph in some places as rail strikes saw football fans and bargain-hunters take to the roads.
Thousands who might have travelled by train were forced to make other plans amid continued industrial action.
Hundreds of trains usually run on 26 December after the Christmas Day shutdown, but Network Rail said Britain’s railways would remain closed for a second consecutive day due to a walkout by workers in the Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) union.
Namita Singh27 December 2022 04:50
Passengers face ‘significantly disrupted’ trips into January – Network Rail
Rail passengers have been warned to prepare for “significantly disrupted” travel into the New Year amid a wave of industrial unrest sweeping across the country.
The Network Rail warning came as members of the Transport Salaried Staffs’ Association (TSSA) at CrossCountry staged a 24-hour strike from 9pm on Boxing Day as part of a long-running campaign for a guarantee of no compulsory redundancies, no unagreed changes to terms and conditions, and a pay increase which addresses the rising cost of living.
Network Rail have urged people to plan ahead and check before they depart as “industrial action means rail travel will be significantly disrupted throughout December and January”.
Read more in this report:
Namita Singh27 December 2022 04:28
Welcome to The Independent’s live blog for 27 December 2022, where we provide the latest on industrial action across the country.
Namita Singh27 December 2022 03:53
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