Rail strike 2022 dates: Wen e be, which trains dey run and wetin e dey about?

Woman looks at rail departures board

Getty Images

Rail passengers dey face ogbonge disruption dis week.

Train service no go work in full capacity because railway workers dey strike over pay and job cuts.

Wen be di rail strikes?

Di strikes na on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday.

Disruption dey also expected across England, Scotland and Wales on oda days, because of di time e take to restore a normal service. Services for Northern Ireland no dey affected.

How many trains dey run?

Passengers dey get advise not to travel on strike days unless e dey essential.

Dem don publish one map wey show di lines wey dey operate. About one in five trains dey expected to run.

Trains wey dey run dey start later and finish early – between 07:30 and 18:30.

Passenger trains no dey from north from Glasgow or Edinburgh, no one dey to Swansea and Holyhead and no trains to Penzance.

For London, na “very little service” dey across most of di Tube network on Tuesday. On Wednesday, services no go dey before 08:00.

On non-strike days, service levels go dey different between operators.

One special timetable up to 25 June dey in place.

Man dey on an empty platform

Getty Images
Man dey on an empty platform

Why so many lines dey affected?

Staff for most companies wey dey operate trains dey strike – but even wia dem no dey strike, services dey affected.

Dis na because staff for Network Rail – wey dey maintain di railways throughout Britain – don join di action.

For example, Transport for Wales and Southern Rail – wey dia workers no dey strike – don reduce dia services.

Passengers queue for bus during di rail strike

Reuters
Passengers queue for bus during di rail strike

Why dem dey strike?

Na di National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers (RMT) call di strike, wey get thousands of members, including everyone from guards and signallers to catering staff and cleaners.

Di RMT call di strikes over job cuts, pay and conditions.

Di union say one offer of a 2% pay rise, with di possibility of anoda 1%, dey “unacceptable”, pointing to di rising cost of living – with inflation forecast to reach 11%.

Network Rail say e go offer a pay rise above 3%, but only if di union agree to modernise working practices.

Chart showing average salaries of rail workers in 2011 and 2021

BBC

Di RMT don also accuse di goment of preventing rail companies from freely negotiating on pay. Ministers say di dispute suppose dey resolved between di unions and di employers.

Di RMT say anoda issue na say Network Rail planto cut 2,500 maintenance jobs, as e dey try to save £2bn over di next two years. Di union say di jobs dey safety critical.

Network Rail say not more dan 2,000 job losses go dey – and say all fit dey voluntary. E say e no go consider any changes wey go make di railways less safe and say modernisation dey needed.

Goment say dem use £16bn of taxpayers’ money to support di railways during di Covid pandemic. However, with passenger numbers still down by one fifth, goment say changes dey needed.

Chart showing the number of passenger rail journeys each year

BBC

More strikes go happun?

RMT never announce any further strike dates, but say industrial action go run “as long as it needs to”.

Dem say di strikes fit last months if dem no reach deal.

Separately, train drivers wey be members of di Aslef union dey due to strike over pay for Greater Anglia on 23 June and 2 July and for Croydon Tramlink on 28 and 29 June and 13 and 14 July.

I go fit dey able to get refund?

National Rail don publish guidance wey cover different scenarios and ticket types.

If your train dey cancelled, delayed or rescheduled, National Rail say you dey entitled to a refund from di retailer you buy di ticket from.

If you get a ticket for one of di strike days, you fit use di day before, or until Tuesday of di following week.

Chart showing the different reasons for rail travel

BBC

Season ticket-holders wey choose not to travel on strike days fit claim compensation for those days.

Pipo dey get advise to check with operators about switching to oda routes to avoid disruption.