RAIL commuters in York are being warned ahead of what could be the biggest outbreak of industrial action in the industry in a generation.

Members of the Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) union at Network Rail and 13 train operators - including York-based LNER and Northern - are set to walk out on June 21, 23 and 25.

Talks are being held in a bid to avert the strikes.

The strikes are expected to cause disruption to services for six days, from the first walkout on Tuesday, June 21 to the day after the third strike.

Fewer than one in five trains are likely to run, and only between 7am and 7pm, probably only on main lines.

The rail operators affected which run services through York station include LNER, Northern Trains, Transpennine Express and CrossCountry Trains.

 

David Horne, LNER managing director, has tweeted: “I regret the RMT’s action which will undermine the recovery we’ve achieved together as a rail industry since Covid-19.

“I apologise to our customers for the inevitable disruption - we’ll be doing our best to minimise the disruption to your travel and to keep you informed.”

The disputes are over pay, jobs and pensions, with the union complaining that railway staff who worked through the pandemic are facing job cuts, a pay freeze and attacks on employment conditions.

A RMT union spokesperson for the North East said: “Rail staff have not had a pay award in the past three years and with the cost of living going up that is vital, and rail staff are essential workers who worked all through the pandemic.

“The government has stipulated that the rail companies self-finance pay rises but the rail employers won’t issue it without redundancies.

“After negotiations with the Rail Industry Railway Group, no agreement or resolution was reached which led to a trade dispute.”

Kathryn O’Brien, customer experience director at TransPennine Express, said: “TPE is extremely disappointed with the news, particularly at a time when the rail industry continues to work together to recover from the impact of the pandemic.

“We remain open for talks with the union, but any talks must be realistic, affordable and take into account the context of the environment in which the rail industry is now operating.”

Andrew Haines, Network Rail’s chief executive, added: “We know that the cost of living has increased and we want to give our people a pay rise, but the RMT must recognise we are a public body and any pay increase has to be affordable for taxpayers and passengers.”

Rail operators have advised passengers to find alternative travel arrangements on the strike dates if the action goes ahead.

A CrossCountry spokesperson said: “The announcement about the RMT planned strike is disappointing and premature at a time when we should be building confidence in travelling by train.

“While we will keep as many services running as possible, sadly if this action goes ahead, significant disruption will be inevitable.”

Tricia Williams, chief operating officer at Northern, said: “We are working hard to understand what this means for our network and will provide an update to our customers once known.”