Rail strike: When could it be and which lines would be affected?

Another rail strike is taking place on Saturday, disrupting services throughout England, Scotland and Wales.

Unions are planning more action over the summer because of the ongoing disputes about jobs, pay and conditions.

About 5,000 train drivers at seven rail companies who are members of the Aslef union will strike.

This comes during the Commonwealth Games and on the first day of the English Football League season.

There will be a limited or extremely limited service on:

Train operators have warned that disruption may continue the day after the strike, especially for early-morning services.

Aslef members at nine rail companies will also strike over pay on 13 August.

Thursday 18, Friday 19 and Saturday 20 August:

RMT members will go on strike again.

Another union that represents rail workers, the Transport Salaried Staffs’ Association (TSSA), will also take part in industrial action on these days.

Staff working for seven companies will go on strike: Avanti West Coast, C2C, East Midlands Railway, CrossCountry, Great Western Railway, LNER and Southeastern. Staff at West Midlands Trains, Northern, Greater Anglia, TransPennine Express and Southeastern will take part in industrial action short of a strike.

Disruption is also likely on 19 August. Although it is not a strike day for most rail operators, the RMT union said London Underground train staff plan to strike over jobs and pensions.

The unions are in dispute with the government and rail companies about pay, job cuts and changes to terms and conditions.

Aslef says drivers need a pay rise, saying the rising cost of living means its members have effectively had a pay cut in recent years.

Network Rail says its latest offer is worth more than 5%, but that it depended on workers accepting “modernising reforms”. However, the RMT says this is a “paltry sum” and represents a real terms pay cut.

The RMT said another issue was plans by Network Rail to cut 2,500 maintenance jobs, as the company tries to save £2bn over the next two years. The union insists those jobs are safety-critical.

Network Rail says there would be no more than 2,000 job losses – and that all redundancies can be voluntary. It says it would not consider any changes that would make the railways less safe, but stresses modernisation is needed.

The TSSA is also demanding a pay rise that reflects the rising cost of living, as well as a guarantee of no compulsory redundancies and no unagreed changes to terms and conditions.

The government says the railway system needs modernisation and has to be financially sustainable for the long term. It says £16bn of taxpayers’ money was used to support the railways during the Covid pandemic. However, with passenger numbers still down by one-fifth, it says changes are needed.

The Office for National Statistics has estimated the average salary of rail workers as £43,747, based on five different job categories. If drivers are excluded, its estimate is £36,800.

If your train is cancelled, delayed or rescheduled, National Rail says you are entitled to a refund from the retailer where you bought the ticket.

Season ticket holders who choose not to travel on strike days can claim compensation for those days.

How will the rail strikes affect your journey? What alternative forms of transport are you using? Share your experiences by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk.

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