Train drivers will join thousands of other rail workers in striking in June and July with major service disruptions.
Aslef, the British train drivers’ union, announced strikes at three companies in a row over pay.
It comes after the RMT Union, which represents guards and other railway workers, said 40,000 Network Rail workers and 13 railway companies would go on strike.
The individual strikes are expected to cause severe disruption across the UK.
Driver members of ASLEF will hold their own strike over pay on 26 June at Hull Trains, 23 June in Greater Anglia and 28, 29 June and 13 and 14 July at Croydon Tramlink.
Meanwhile, RMT workers will take industrial action on June 21, 23 and 25 after talks on wages and layoffs collapsed.
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Aslef general secretary Mick Whelan said its members hadn’t had a pay rise since 2019 and the union wanted drivers to get a pay rise “in line with the cost of living so we’re not worse off in real terms”.
“We are not naive. Railway companies are doing very well on British railways – with handsome profits, dividends for shareholders and high salaries for managers – and we will no longer work for less,” he said.
The various planned strikes coincide with several major events ranging from the Glastonbury Festival, taking place June 22-26, to a cricket test match between England and New Zealand on June 23-27.
The industrial action has been described as “the largest rail strike in modern history”.
Downing Street has called the strikes “selfish” and warned such action would cause pain to passengers at “really tough times”.
Meanwhile, executives from the theatre, live music and hospitality industries have said the move will have a devastating impact on businesses recovering from the coronavirus pandemic.
RMT said Network Rail plans to cut up to 2,500 jobs as part of a £2bn spending cut.
It has also been alleged that train operators have faced payment freezes and changes to their terms and conditions.
However, Network Rail has stated that no proposals have been made.
Aslef has already negotiated a 5% wage agreement for drivers at Scot Rail.
Elsewhere, the Transport Salaried Staffs Association (TSSA) has announced it will vote out hundreds of workers for industrial action at train operator Avanti West Coast in a dispute over pay, working conditions and job security.
TSSA is demanding from Avanti a no layoff guarantee for 2022, no inconsistent changes to terms and conditions, and a salary increase that reflects the rising cost of living.
Voting begins on June 15 and ends two weeks later, with the union saying strikes could start in mid-July if members get support.
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