A rail workers’ union said its demands for a pay rise were “not unreasonable” after its members voted for a nationwide strike.
The RMT union said some railway workers’ wages had been frozen for three years.
On Tuesday, RMT members of route operator Network Rail and 13 rail companies voted overwhelmingly to go on strike.
Strikes should be a last resort, the Department of Transport said.
A spokesman said: “It is extremely disappointing and premature that the RMT is calling for industrial action before it has even entered talks.”
The prospect of a nationwide strike threatens major travel disruptions across the UK in the summer.
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Eddie Dempsey, RMT’s deputy general secretary, told the BBC that some of its members “are in their third year of a pay freeze this year”.
“Don’t forget we’ve kept this country moving during the pandemic, we’ve tightened our belts, we haven’t had a raise. At the same time, private companies have made huge profits,” he said.
Mr Dempsey said the union wanted a pay rise, job security and no redundancies.
“It’s not inappropriate in this day and age, is it,” he said.
The RMT union has announced its leaders will meet to discuss a timeline for strike action from mid-June.
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Mr Dempsey said he hoped an agreement could still be reached, adding that there was an “urgent” need for the union to sit down with industry and government.
“The quicker we do that, the quicker we can reach an agreement and hopefully we don’t have to take the next step of announcing strike action.”
In the National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers ballot, 89% voted in favor of a strike and 11% voted against. Around 71% of the 40,000 RMT members voted.
Workers at Network Rail, which maintains the UK’s railway infrastructure, have not participated in a nationwide strike since 1994.
The union said the company plans to shed 2,500 maintenance jobs as it seeks to save £2bn over the next two years.
If Network Rail employees, which include signalers, disembark, it will affect both passenger and goods movement on the train, including bulk shipments of fuel and some food, experts say.
Trains may only run part of the day, e.g. B. 07:00 – 19:00 BST, and only on main routes. Service could also be reduced to about a fifth of the normal weekday timetable, they add.
The Department of Transportation said the RMT’s vote for strike action “threatens to pull the plug on life support, which the [railway] network alive”.
The spokesperson added: “We urge the RMT to reconsider and accept the invitation to industry talks so that we can find a solution that is fair to workers, passengers and taxpayers alike.”
“If they don’t, they risk irreparable damage not only to our railroads, but also to our economy and our country.”
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