Thousands face travel chaos access Britain as rail and Border Force strikes continue
Jane Clinton
Thousands of people face Boxing Day travel chaos across Britain as a rail strike means no services will be running.
Many have been forced to cancel or make alternative plans as the industrial action continues.
Usually hundreds of departures run on 26 December after the Christmas Day shutdown.
However, Network Rail said Britain’s railways were closed for a second consecutive day because of a strike by employees who are members of the Rail, Maritime and Transport union (RMT).
The strike is part of a long-running dispute between the RMT, and the train operators and Network Rail over pay, jobs and conditions.
Thousands of members of the RMT union at Network Rail went on strike over the festive period from 6pm on Christmas Eve until 6am on 27 December.
Disruption was also expected for people travelling to and from airports with no services running on the Stansted Express on Boxing Day.
Planned upgrade work on the Heathrow Express means there are no services on Boxing Day, forcing airline passengers to find other ways of getting to and from Britain’s airports.
Rail schedules beyond Boxing Day were expected to experience disruption with trains starting later on 27 December owing to the industrial action.
The lack of trains has meant more people are expected to travel by road, with coach operators National Express and Megabus reporting heavy demand.
The AA expected 15.2m cars to take to the UK roads on Boxing Day as people venture out for the sales and attend football matches.
A resolution to the rail dispute appears a long way off with the RMT accusing the government ministers of going “missing” after the latest round of talks.
The RMT general secretary, Mick Lynch, said: “Until the government gives the rail industry a mandate to come to a negotiated settlement on job security, pay and conditions of work, our industrial campaign will continue.”
Network Rail has said the deal it has put forward is “fair and affordable”.
Key events
Here is a reminder of the upcoming strikes which have been announced by up until January.
Up to 15.2m cars expected on UK roads today, AA predicts
Shoppers hoping for a Boxing Day bargain could face traffic jams as rail strikes bring train services to a halt, with the AA saying it expects 15.2m cars on UK roads on Boxing Day, with shoppers and football fans among those likely to travel.
A spokesman said: “Traffic is likely to build around shopping centres as lots of people seek a bargain in the sales, meanwhile football fans will travel to see their teams.
“There is scope for localised traffic congestion and more short trips, but traffic should be dispersed throughout the day as people take their time after Christmas Day.”
New data predicts shoppers will spend 4% less this Boxing Day and during the post-Christmas sales due to the cost-of-living crisis.
Research by Barclaycard Payments found that the average shopper intends to buy £229 worth of items in the post-Christmas sales period, a reduction of £18 compared with 2021.
Network Rail has said railways across the UK will remain closed today due to the strike by employees who are members of the Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) union.
Merseyrail announced no trains would be running on Boxing Day.
ScotRail usually has a Boxing Day service in the Strathclyde area – but there will be no services there this year.
Northern operated a service between Liverpool Lime Street and St Helens Central on Boxing Day last year, but the company has said there will be no trains running on Monday.
There will also be no Southern services.
Trains do not usually run on Boxing Day, apart from some airport transfer services, such as the Stansted Express and Heathrow Express.
Thousands face travel chaos access Britain as rail and Border Force strikes continue
Jane Clinton
Thousands of people face Boxing Day travel chaos across Britain as a rail strike means no services will be running.
Many have been forced to cancel or make alternative plans as the industrial action continues.
Usually hundreds of departures run on 26 December after the Christmas Day shutdown.
However, Network Rail said Britain’s railways were closed for a second consecutive day because of a strike by employees who are members of the Rail, Maritime and Transport union (RMT).
The strike is part of a long-running dispute between the RMT, and the train operators and Network Rail over pay, jobs and conditions.
Thousands of members of the RMT union at Network Rail went on strike over the festive period from 6pm on Christmas Eve until 6am on 27 December.
Disruption was also expected for people travelling to and from airports with no services running on the Stansted Express on Boxing Day.
Planned upgrade work on the Heathrow Express means there are no services on Boxing Day, forcing airline passengers to find other ways of getting to and from Britain’s airports.
Rail schedules beyond Boxing Day were expected to experience disruption with trains starting later on 27 December owing to the industrial action.
The lack of trains has meant more people are expected to travel by road, with coach operators National Express and Megabus reporting heavy demand.
The AA expected 15.2m cars to take to the UK roads on Boxing Day as people venture out for the sales and attend football matches.
A resolution to the rail dispute appears a long way off with the RMT accusing the government ministers of going “missing” after the latest round of talks.
The RMT general secretary, Mick Lynch, said: “Until the government gives the rail industry a mandate to come to a negotiated settlement on job security, pay and conditions of work, our industrial campaign will continue.”
Network Rail has said the deal it has put forward is “fair and affordable”.