‘Significant’ disruption as rail strikes begin and freezing weather continues to grip the UK

The start of the nationwide rail strikes and yet another day of subfreezing weather will cause “severe” disruptions for commuters today, according to warnings.

After Network Rail employees rejected a pay offer, hopes for a significant resolution to the rail issue were dashed. As a result, members of the Rail, Maritime, and Transport union (RMT) will commence two 48-hour strikes at Network Rail – as well as 14 train companies – from Tuesday through Friday.

At the same time, the Met Office has issued a warning that Tuesday morning in the UK will be a chilly one for many people due to widespread snowfall that may cause transport delays.

Yellow ice and snow warnings are in effect from Tuesday until Thursday for northern Scotland and north-east England, and a severe ice warning is in effect until Tuesday morning for much of the South East, including London and Brighton.

Trains will run from 7.30 am to 6.30 pm, although many areas of the UK

During the strikes, trains will run from 7.30 am to 6.30 pm, although many areas of the UK, including the majority of Scotland and Wales, won’t have any service at all. Network Rail RMT employees will also be on strike from 6 p.m. on Christmas Eve to 6 a.m. on December 27.

However, Network Rail has warned that additional walkouts are expected, so there will be significantly fewer services, more congested trains, and possibly later departures and earlier arrivals until January 8.

It is anticipated that passengers wanting to travel on Christmas Eve will be pushed to finish their trips before the start of the strikes. From 16 December to 7 January, NationalHighways employees who run and repair the country’s roads will also take part in a series of staggering strikes. The AA is advising commuters to monitor the weather on Tuesday since rail travel is likely to be impossible for many.

It said: “Rain followed by freezing temperatures can turn the roads into an ice rink, so check your route for accidents or closures before you leave and, if possible, favour roads which have been gritted.”

Reason for the strikes by Network Rail employees

The service has extra phone operators available, according to AA operations director Olly Kunc.

On an 83% turnout, the RMT said that 63.6% of voters rejected Network Rail’s salary offer. The proposal included a 5% pay increase for this year, retroactive to January, along with a promise of no mandatory job cuts until January 2025 and another 4% pay increase at the beginning of 2023.

The strikes coincide with planned strikes across a range of UK industries, including healthcare, where nurses and paramedics intend to take a day off, postal workers, Border Force officers, firefighters, driving instructors, bus drivers, airport baggage handlers, and even coffin builders.

On Tuesday, about 100 employees from the Rural Payments Agency will join the approximately 1,600 members of the Public and Commercial Services union who work for the Driver & Vehicle Standards Agency in going on strike.

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