December rail strikes are set to bring major disruption to festive rail travel in the UK, with a series of walkouts planned on CrossCountry services throughout the month.

This is reported by the railway transport news portal Railway Supply.

December rail strikes to hit UK CrossCountry services
Photo: PA

On 21 November, the Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) union confirmed that its members at the operator will strike on several Saturdays in December in a long-running pay and staffing dispute, with the action and dates set out by RailAdvent.

December rail strikes and CrossCountry strike action

Union representatives say the latest proposal from CrossCountry was described as “worse than what was already on the table”, which has triggered renewed CrossCountry strike action. The operator, headquartered in Birmingham, runs trains to more than 100 stations across the UK, reports the Manchester Evening News. Its network links seven of Britain’s ten largest cities — including Manchester, Leeds and Sheffield — and carries more than 42 million passengers every weekday, so any UK Christmas rail disruption on this route affects a large number of long-distance travellers.

RMT union pay and staffing dispute

RMT December rail strikes at CrossCountry stem from what the union calls unresolved issues over pay, staffing arrangements and “broken commitments”. RMT general secretary Eddie Dempsey argues that the company has not addressed the core points in the dispute.

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According to him, members are still dealing with staff shortages, pay outcomes they consider unfair and commitments that they believe have not been honoured. For that reason, he says, workers have been left with no choice but to take strike action and insists that CrossCountry must return with a serious offer that matches existing commitments and treats staff with “fairness and respect”.

CrossCountry managing director Shiona Rolfe, responding to the announcement, said the company was disappointed for customers that the RMT had called further industrial action. She maintains that the operator has worked hard to put forward what it sees as a fair and reasonable offer that addresses the key points raised in the dispute and notes that meaningful progress has already been made in negotiations. Rolfe added that the company’s priority remains reaching an agreement that avoids disruption for passengers during the busy Christmas period and that it is ready to continue talks at any time.

UK Christmas rail disruption and strike dates

CrossCountry has not yet set out the full extent of the impact on its timetable, but it is expected that some trains will be cancelled and that a limited timetable will operate on strike days. Passengers are also being warned that other services will face cancelled trains and reduced timetables over the festive period because of essential engineering works across the Network Rail infrastructure, with Network Rail advising travellers to plan ahead during Christmas and New Year. Previous festive seasons have already seen Christmas rail travel affected by strikes and staff shortages, as highlighted by Railway Supply, which underlines the risk of disruption for passengers again this year.

The CrossCountry industrial action is scheduled for Saturdays in December but will not take place on any Christmas public holidays. The confirmed CrossCountry strike dates in December are:

  • December 6
  • December 13
  • December 20
  • December 27

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