United Kingdom: Rail strikes planned January 8, 10, and 12 /update 1

Event

Employees of Southern Railway, South Western Railway, Northern Rail, Greater Anglia, Merseyrail, Arriva Rail North, and the Isle of Wight's Island Line have planned a 24-hour strike for Monday, January 8. In addition, union representatives for all of the above companies - except for Southern Railway - have announced their intention to carry out further 24-hour strikes on Wednesday, January 10, and Friday, January 12. Major delays and cancelations, modified schedules, and overcrowding on available services are to be anticipated on these days, along with increased road congestion in affected regions.

Context

The strikes are being held to protest a British government request to begin driver-only train operations on the lines; currently, the lines employ both drivers and conductors (or guards) on each train. A number of similar strikes were held in 2017.

Advice

Travelers in the United Kingdom are advised to expect significant disruptions, confirm timetables, and consider making arrangements for alternative means of transportation on the abovementioned dates.