When are train strikes in December? Dates and times of rail strikes from Christmas Eve to Boxing Day

Train passengers hoping to travel over the festive period are being met with train strikes that threaten to disrupt transport during the busiest time of the year.

More than 40,000 workers across National Rail and 14 train operators are taking part in the industrial action, which is protesting against working conditions and worker’s wages.

RMT general secretary Mick Lynch said the strikes will have “minimal” impact on Christmas, adding that: “The public is with us. I get lots of messages of support, we get support when we are out on our picket lines.”

There are concerns of the knock-on effect and added congestion that the strikes will have on the roads as travellers opt to drive instead of taking the train.

The UK has been rocked by the biggest wave of industrial action in decades this winter as railway workers, postal services staff, teachers, nurses and civil servants stage a walkout due to pay disputes and working conditions.

Here’s everything you need to know about the strikes from Christmas Eve to Boxing Day and how they could impact you.

When are train strikes in December?

Train staff are due to walk out on strike at 6pm on Christmas Eve (24 December), with services set to finish around 3pm according to National Rail. Passengers are being asked to travel only “if absolutely necessary”, with the strike continuing over Boxing Day (26 December) through to 6.00am on Tuesday (27 December).

Examples of last train times for Christmas Eve include 10.45am for Leeds to London, 11am for London to Edinburgh and 12.48pm for London to Manchester.

The strike action, which is by the RMT Union, will impact 14 train companies, with services significantly reduced during one of the busiest times of the year. There is also an overtime ban in place until 2 January, which will have further impact on rail services.

RMT general secretary Mick Lynch reassured travellers that strikes would have a “minimal” impact over the holiday season. Reported by PA Media, he told Sky News on 16 December: “We know that the public will be upset and even angry about the disruption. Some of that anger should be put towards the Government and the companies, we believe.

“But the disruption for people on the strike days that are actually happening at Christmas will be minimal.

“The railway shuts down on Christmas Eve in any case to do engineering works, so there aren’t scheduled trains on Christmas Day, nor on Boxing Day, and the railway curtails its activities early on Christmas Eve. That will be a little bit earlier than usual.

“But people have got time now to make plans. And I hope that they’re successful in that, and that we can progress these talks to maybe get some solutions in the next week or so.”

Which services will be affected?

The rail strikes will impact Network Rail and 14 train operators causing widespread disruption across the UK, with an estimated 80% of services cancelled.

National Rail said: “The rail industry is working hard to minimise the effect that this will have on services but it is inevitable that services will be cancelled or severely disrupted. It is likely that there will be a very limited service on these days with no trains at all on some routes.”

These are the 14 train operators that are taking part in the industrial action:

• Avanti West Coast
• c2c
• Caledonian Sleeper
• Chiltern Railways
• CrossCountry
• East Midlands Railway
• Elizabeth line
• Gatwick Express
• Grand Central
• Great Northern
• Great Western Railway
• Greater Anglia
• Heathrow Express
• Hull Trains
• LNER
• London Northwestern Railway
• London Overground
• Lumo
• Merseyrail
• Northern
• ScotRail
• South Western Railway
• Southeastern
• Southern
• Stansted Express
• Thameslink
• TransPennine
• ExpressTransport for Wales
• West Midlands Railway

Will there be strikes in January?

More strike dates have been called for the New Year, with more than 40,000 train workers and 14 operators set to walkout in further industrial action in the first week of January 2023. There will be five consecutive days of strikes with the RMT Union and ASLEF Union also planning a walkout.

Here are the strike dates for January 2023:

• Tuesday 3 January (RMT Union)
• Wednesday 4 January (RMT Union)
• Thursday 5 January (ASLEF Union)
• Friday 6 January (RMT Union)
• Saturday 7 January (RMT Union)

Why are there rail strikes?

The UK has been hit with train strikes since the summer, with the ongoing dispute over pay and working conditions between RMT, Network Rail and train operators still unsolved. Talks will continue to take place to try and break the deadlock, but it’s unlikely they will happen in time to prevent further strike action in the first week of January.