The end of 2022 was heavily disrupted due to multiple sectors striking, demanding fairer pay and working conditions. One of which was rail workers, which caused cancellations in trains around Christmas and New Year. Many students found their journeys home and back to university heavily delayed or cancelled. With strikes continuing this week, many will want to know if there will be more train strikes in February 2023, particularly will reading weeks and a half term.
It’s hard to not know that are currently multiple strikes either in action or in preparation. Post was heavily disrupted leading up to Christmas as the CWU held strikes. Others struggled to get home or commute to work as trains were cancelled. In effective talks between the sectors and their government representative or employers mean that strikes will continue. With strikes already taking place in January, students and commuters alike will need to know f they are train strikes in February.
Will There Be Train Strikes In February?
At the time of writing (January 6) RMT have not scheduled any train strikes for February. In fact, there is no industrial action planned after January for rail workers.
RMT held multiple 48-hour strikes throughout December and January. There was also an overtime ban for workers from December 18 to January 2. During this period, many students would have finished university and had plans to travel home to see loved ones for Christmas.
Workers also walked out from Christmas Eve until Boxing Day. That meant anyone who had to work up to Christmas would have been disrupted commuting home.
One student reported having to take a 9-hour bus journey home due to cancellations at Christmas. Another spoke of the additional stress it created for students.
“It’s adding stress to this time of year because I’ve got lots of work that I need to do and I am trying to get as much work done before Christmas as possible so it just adds to all that.”
With some UK universities holding reading weeks in February, students will be pleased to know that there is no planned industrial action.
Unfortunately, that isn’t to say there won’t be.
How Much Notice Is Needed For Train Strikes?
Looking at South Western Railway, unions must give 14 days’ notice before holding industrial action. That means that there will not be any train strikes after the scheduled action until at least January 20. However, that does still mean there could be train strikes in February.
On the flip side, unions do not need to give any notice that train strikes will be cancelled. This can still be done on the day of scheduled strikes. However, if train companies have already planned for closures, trains cannot just run again. This is explained by National Rail:
“If strike action is cancelled or suspended at short notice by any union, train companies might not be able to immediately restore their normal timetables in time. Rail services are created and depend on complex and integrated systems and it, therefore, takes some time to get everything back into place.”
Those who use trains to commute to work or university may want to plan ahead anyway. Or, if you plan on travelling home in your reading week/half term then make sure you have prepared for train strikes just in case.
Are There Any Train Strikes Next Week?
No, there are no train strikes planned for next week.
The last day of strike action for rail workers is scheduled for tomorrow (January 7). That means that there cannot be any more industrial action until at least January 20.
Train strikes are also taking place today, which was confirmed by RMT back in November. It is not yet known whether strikes will continue throughout 2023, but there will be plenty of notice given.
If you did have a scheduled trip for either today or tomorrow then there are options. National Rail has said you may be able to use your ticket on another day.
“Customers with Advance, Anytime or Off-Peak tickets for travel on a strike day can instead use their ticket on an alternative date as stated below:
- Tickets for 3, 4, 5*, 6 and 7 January can instead be used the day before the date on the ticket, or up to and including Tuesday 10 January”
However, those with planned journeys are being told something Different. If you have a long trip travelling back to university, National Rail recommends a refund.
“Customers with tickets for long-distance operators, particularly where seat reservations are required, are encouraged to obtain a refund and rebook onto an alternative service. Trains running on days either side of strike days are likely to be extremely busy and a seat cannot be guaranteed. Customers are advised to check with their operator before travelling.”
Ensure you are planning ahead if you travel back to university halls via train. Let’s all cross our fingers that employers/government can step up, and provide fair pay to the affected sectors. Hopefully, this disruption will end soon.