What you need to know about the rail strike and other strike action this week, by the BBC’s Zoe Conway.
It might be a new year but for train travellers the advice will feel wearily familiar.
On Wednesday, people are being told to once again travel only if “absolutely necessary” due to services being cancelled and disrupted.
Only one in five trains is due to run.
But it’s not just the railways that are affected by strike action.
Some road workers and driving examiners are also taking action, as demands grow for pay increases to keep up with rising prices.
This is my latest daily briefing, with lots of useful information.
Train strikes across England, Scotland and Wales
Workers from the UK’s largest rail union, the RMT, are striking on four days this week – Tuesday and Wednesday, then again on Friday and Saturday.
The walkouts are part of a long-running dispute over pay, job security and conditions.
Many areas will have no trains at all.
Trains that do run will start later and finish much earlier than usual, with services typically running between 7:30am and 6.30pm on the days of the strike.
The advice is to avoid taking trains on Wednesday if you can, but if you must travel:
- Make sure you check your train-operating company’s website before setting out
- Be prepared for no services early in the morning or late at night
- Allow extra time for your journey
There is also a strike by train drivers in the Aslef union at 15 rail companies on Thursday in a dispute over pay.
It will add to major rail disruption this week, with Sunday being the only strike-free day.
But even then, there may be some knock-on disruption to services. That’s because carriages, engines and staff may not be in the right place at the start of the day.
Highway workers
If you’re traveling by road on Wednesday, you could also face disruption, as some National Highways workers in England are striking.
The strike involves control centre staff and traffic officers who deal with the aftermath of accidents.
The Public and Commercial Services (PCS) union says more than 100 workers are walking out, although National Highways disputes this figure and says it’s fewer than 20.
National Highways also insists it has “well-rehearsed resilience plans in place”.
However, drivers have been warned that roads could be busy because of the industrial action taking place on the railways at the same time.
Cancelled driving tests
If you’re hoping to pass your driving test, you may also be affected by walkouts.
Some driving examiners at the DVSA are striking as part of industrial action by the PCS union in a dispute over pay, pensions, job security and redundancy terms.
Wednesday’s action will affect driving test centres in London, south-east England, south-west England and Wales.
The industrial action will not affect theory tests but might have an impact on practical exams.
But not all driving examiners are members of the PCS so your test may go ahead as planned.
If you think your driving test will be affected by the strikes, here’s what to do:
- If you want to change your test date, you can do so here. But you must give at least three working days’ notice or you’ll have to pay again
- If you don’t want to change your date, you should still go to your driving test appointment unless the DVSA contacts you to tell you not to
- If your test cannot go ahead because of the strike, the DVSA will automatically rebook your driving test for you. The new test details will be sent to you within five to 10 working days
You can claim out-of-pocket expenses if your test is cancelled by filling out this form.
The full list of test centres that are affected by the strike can be found here.
Watch Make Sense of Strikes on iPlayer and find out more about why people are striking and whether industrial action works.
What about the other strikes?
Bus drivers in London are taking industrial action on Wednesday. The routes affected are mostly in south and west London.
From Wednesday teatime, we will have another strike briefing for you, to keep you informed.
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How are you affected by the strikes? Are you taking part in strike action? You can email: haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk.
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