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Train strikes: Passengers brace for Christmas Eve disruption

Rail travelers are being warned not to travel on Saturday unless it is “absolutely necessary” as further strikes will cause disruption.

Network Rail said its workers’ strike on Christmas Eve over pay would have a serious impact on services.

Trains finish around 3pm before RMT union members begin industrial action at 6pm.

In the recent strikes in the run-up to Christmas, postal workers and border guards are also going out.

The industrial action at Network Rail, which maintains the UK’s rail system, will last until 06:00 on 27 December.

Network Rail said there would be “significantly reduced services across the rail network” on Christmas Eve.

The last long-distance trains leave much earlier, and some trains cannot run at all.

The latest train times on the main routes are 09:45 from Leeds to London, 11:22 from London to Edinburgh and 12:48 from London to Manchester.

“Only travel on Saturday 24 December if absolutely necessary,” Network Rail said.

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The rail strikes are expected to increase traffic on the roads at an already busy time of the year.

The AA said a recent survey found just under a third of adults in the UK said they travel to family and friends before Christmas when they would normally use the train.

“The traffic nightmare leading up to Christmas is getting worse,” said AA President Edmund King.

The Motorists Group advises motorists to check traffic on their route before driving.

Watch Strikes Make Sense on iPlayer and learn more about why people are on strike and if industrial action works.

The rail strikes come at a time of widespread strikes in the industry, with workers in a number of sectors embroiled in disputes over wages, jobs and working conditions.

Workers demand wage increases as the cost of living rises. The rate of inflation, which is driving prices up, is nearly 11%, which is still close to a 40-year high.

Other industrial action on Saturday includes:

  • About 1,000 border troop Workers – many of whom check passports – are on strike at Heathrow, Gatwick, Manchester, Birmingham, Cardiff and Glasgow airports and the Port of Newhaven until the end of the year, with the exception of December 27. Although passengers have been told to expect delays at airports, disruption on Friday was minimal as military personnel and civil servants were drafted in to cover for strikers.
  • More than 115,000 Royal Mail Communication Workers Union workers go out on one of the busiest days for pre-Christmas deliveries. Letters are not delivered, although some packages are still being sent.
  • Some National Highways Transport officers are on strike in London and the south-east of England. According to National Highways, no roads will be closed and “well-rehearsed resilience plans” are in place.
  • bus driver for Abellio in London go out. The affected routes are mainly in south and west London.

Elsewhere, ambulance drivers, nurses and driving examiners will be on strike at various locations throughout the holiday and New Year.

The Prime Minister said he was “sad” at the disruption caused by strikes but insisted he had acted “fairly and reasonably” on public sector salaries.

“I want to make sure we reduce inflation, part of that is being accountable when it comes to setting public sector salaries. In the long run, beating inflation is the right thing for the whole country,” Rishi Sunak said.

Previous RMT strikes have had a major impact on services across England, Scotland and Wales. The union is expected to hold further strikes on January 3-4 and January 6-7.

Union members have turned down offers amid disputes over pay, job security and working conditions.

Network Rail said the proposed deal was “fair and affordable”.

“So we’re asking the RMT to really think again about what’s on the table. And we will see what we can do and sit down at the table after the strikes end in the new year,” Kevin Groves, Network Rail chief spokesman, told the BBC.

RMT General Secretary Mick Lynch said: “The union remains available for discussions to resolve this dispute.

“But until the government gives the rail industry a mandate to come to a negotiated solution on job security, pay and working conditions, our industry campaign will continue into the new year if necessary.”

In a statement, the RMT added that it believed the government had prevented rail employers from reaching an agreement with the union.

However, a spokesman for the Department for Transport said: “Far from blocking a deal, the Minister for Transport and the Minister for Railways facilitated talks and ensured that a fair and reasonable offer was presented, which the RMT rejected despite a significant number of members, who voted for it.”

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