Festive rail journeys across the UK are facing significant disruption due to strikes on CrossCountry services in December. The RMT union announced that its members will go on strike on some Saturdays of the year due to a long-standing wage and personnel dispute. This may make travel difficult for long-distance passengers, especially during the Christmas period.
Behind RMT’s strike decisionCrossCountry’s latest offering, “worse than what is already on the table”and therefore discussions are continuing to prevent any step back. The Birmingham-based operator has an extensive network connecting major UK cities including Manchester, Leeds and Sheffield, serving millions of passengers every week. Any disruption in this context could seriously affect passenger plans.
Eddie DempseyAs the Secretary General of RMT, he states that issues such as wages, lack of personnel, unfair wage cuts and unfulfilled commitments have not been resolved and emphasizes that a fair offer must be offered to workers.
Strike dates and possible impactsGeneral Manager of CrossCountry Shiona RolfeWhile expressing concerns that strike calls may increase, he stated that the operator was working on a reasonable offer so that passengers would experience less disruption during the Christmas period. During strike days, some trains cancellation and a limited scheduleis expected to be implemented. Additionally, there may be additional disruptions during the holiday period due to maintenance work on the Network Rail infrastructure.
CrossCountry strike dates finalized in December are as follows:
- 6 December
- 13 December
- 20 December
- 27 December
It is important for passengers to plan their Christmas and New Year travel in advance and check their ticket status.
