New map shows rail strikes set to cripple network - which lines will be affected?

15 June 2022, 11:49 | Updated: 15 June 2022, 14:23

Half of Britain's rail lines will close completely during next week's strikes - but which lines will be affected?

Network Rail has released details of its amended timetable, along with a map showing which lines will be in service, ahead of the industrial action which is set to cripple public transport.

The reduced timetable will cover a seven-day period, despite the fact staff are only striking on three days - Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday.

The timetable will be in place from Monday June 20 to Sunday June 26, inclusive.

Network Rail said no passenger services will serve locations such as Penzance in Cornwall, Bournemouth in Dorset, Swansea in South Wales, Holyhead in North Wales, Chester in Cheshire and Blackpool, Lancashire.

There will also be no passenger trains running north from Glasgow or Edinburgh.

Open lines include the West Coast Main Line from London to Scotland via locations such as Birmingham and Manchester.

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The number of passenger services on those days is expected to be limited to around 4,500 compared with 20,000 normally.

The full amended timetable will be published on Friday.

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Passengers who must travel are urged to plan ahead to ensure that they can complete their journeys within the window, with last services from London to Scotland, for example, leaving in the early afternoon.

The last trains from London are as follows; to Edinburgh at 2pm, Leeds at 3.05pm, Newcastle at 3.43pm, Birmingham at 3.40pm, Manchester at 2.56pm, Liverpool at 3.31pm, Birmingham at 3.40pm, Manchester at 2.56pm, Liverpool at 3.31pm, Sheffield at 3.31pm, Nottingham at 4.09pm, Bristol at 4.33pm, Brighton at 5.50pm, Norwich at 4.30pm and Southampton at 5pm.

For more details see Network Rail's website.

Johnson challenges Starmer to condemn RMT rail strikes

Sir Keir Starmer has accused Boris Johnson of "feeding off the division" caused by the upcoming rail strikes, during Prime Ministers Questions.

The Prime Minister goaded Sir Keir Starmer to break his "sphinx like silence" over the strikes which are set to cripple UK public transport next week.

Hitting back at Mr Johnson during todays exchange in the commons, Sir Keir said: "He’s in government, he could do something to stop the strikes but he hasn’t lifted a finger.

"I don’t want the strikes to go ahead but he does. He wants the country to grind to a halt so he can feed off the division."

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South Western Railway (SWR) has also published its strike timetable, revealing it will have a "severely" reduced service on strike days - June 21, 23 and 25 - and a "late-starting Sunday level of service" on June 22, 24 and 26.

Disruption is expected to be significant on all six days and customers are advised to avoid rail travel if they can.

South Western Railway's Managing Director, Claire Mann, said: "The sheer scale of this planned industrial action severely limits the number of trains we can run and routes we can serve, which is reflected in the reduced timetable we have published today.

"With this disruption set to be so considerable, I regretfully urge customers to only travel by rail if absolutely necessary between Tuesday 21 and Sunday 26 June.

"I am sorry these strikes will cause such disruption and am grateful to our customers for their patience and understanding as the rail industry works to bring this damaging nationwide action to an end."

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Members of the Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) union at Network Rail and 13 train operators are to strike for three days next week in similar disputes over pay, jobs and pensions.

Network Rail said lines will only be open between 7.30am and 6.30pm, meaning services will start later and finish earlier than usual.

Passengers "who must travel" are urged to "plan ahead" to ensure they can complete their journeys within this window.

Andrew Haines, Network Rail chief executive, said: "Talks have not progressed as far as I had hoped and so we must prepare for a needless national rail strike and the damaging impact it will have.

"We, and our train operating colleagues, are gearing up to run the best service we can for passengers and freight users next week despite the actions of the RMT."

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Steve Montgomery, who chairs industry body the Rail Delivery Group, said: "These strikes will affect the millions of people who use the train each day, including key workers, students with exams, those who cannot work from home, holidaymakers and those attending important business and leisure events.

"Working with Network Rail, our plan is to keep as many services running as possible, but significant disruption will be inevitable and some parts of the network will not have a service, so passengers should plan their journeys carefully and check their train times."