Train firms impacted by a railway staff strike this month have unveiled their draft timetables and are urging passengers not to travel.

More than 50,000 railway workers from three trade unions are set to stage a walkout on June 21, 23 and 25 in the largest strike since 1989.

RMT members working for Network Rail and 13 rail firms will stage a walkout amid a dispute over a pay freeze and potential job losses, bringing some train lines in Hertfordshire to a halt.

Unite and ASLEF union members working on the railways are also set to strike throughout June and July as part of a pay dispute.

Grant Shapps, transport secretary and Welwyn Hatfield MP, criticised the strike during a House of Commons debate on Wednesday, June 20.

RMT general secretary Mick Lynch urged Mr Shapps to meet with union members to resolve their grievances.

Mr Shapps said in Westminster: "A train driver has a median salary of £59,000 - that compares with a nurse at £31,000, a care worker at £21,000.

"Even if you take the median within the rail sector itself it's £44,000, significantly above the sums of money which are paid, median average in this country."

The RMT and Unite the union strikes includes workers in the wider sector - not just train drivers - who manage signals, stations and customer services.

According to the government's National Careers Service, a train station worker salary typically ranges from £17,500 - below the "real living wage" - to £27,000 per annum.

RMT bosses said a pay freeze amounts to a pay cut at the current rate of inflation, which is above 11 percent.

Mr Lynch said: "We have a cost of living crisis, and it is unacceptable for railway workers to either lose their jobs or face another year of a pay freeze when inflation is at 11.1 percent and rising."

He urged Mr Shapps to meet with him "without any preconditions".

Labour's Louise Haigh, Shadow Secretary of State for Transport, said it is Mr Shapps' "duty" to resolve the dispute to prevent strikes from going ahead.

Ms Haigh said: "This is a dereliction of duty and an insult to the hundreds of thousands of passengers who depend on this despite being resolved."

If strike action goes ahead, official advice from several train operating companies is that passengers should not travel.

This includes passengers on the Thameslink and Great Northern network in Hertfordshire. Staff at Thameslink are not striking, but Network Rail staff are, which means they may not be on hand to run the lines.

Angie Doll, Govia Thameslink Railway's chief operating officer, said: "We're sorry to say that people should only travel if absolutely necessary due to strike action by RMT members at Network Rail and other train companies.

"Unfortunately, there will be very few train services and some routes will be closed altogether on strike days."

She added: "Strikes are terrible for passengers, especially as the country is starting to recover from the pandemic and return to rail."

Avanti West Coast

On June 21, 23 and 25, there will be no trains between London Euston and North Wales, Shrewsbury, Blackpool and Edinburgh.

"We plan to run one train per hour from Euston to each of Manchester, Liverpool, Birmingham and Preston, with a limited service onwards to Glasgow," an Avanti spokesperson said.

Stockport, Macclesfield, Stoke-on-Trent and Runcorn stations are set to close on strike days.

Chiltern Railways

A spokesperson for Chiltern Railways said its service would be "severely limited" between Tuesday, June 21 and Saturday, June 25.

There will be no Chiltern services between Amersham and London, through Rickmansworth and Chorleywood, throughout the period.

Greater Anglia

There will be no service on Greater Anglia branch lines in Hertfordshire, Essex and east London, including the line into Hertford East.

The same applies to trains between Stansted Airport and Norwich.

One train per hour is set to run between London Liverpool Street and Cambridge on strike days. All Greater Anglia services will start after 7.30am, and end by 6.30pm.

There are set to be two Stansted Express trains per hour, except on Thursday, June 23, when one train per hour is set to run. This is due to an additional strike by ASLEF union members at Greater Anglia.

Hull Trains

Trains are set to run between 7.30am and 6.30pm on June 21, 23 and 25 between London King's Cross and Doncaster only.

Hull Trains drivers who are ASLEF members will hold an additional strike on Sunday, June 26. If it goes ahead, there will be no service on Sunday, June 26.

LNER

An LNER spokesperson said: "We will be running around 38 percent of our usual trains and they are likely to be very busy.

"If you can avoid travelling over this period, we recommend doing so."

  • The last train from London King's Cross to Edinburgh is at 2pm
  • The last train from London King's Cross to Leeds is at 3.05pm (3.06pm on Saturday)
  • The last train from Edinburgh to London is at 12.30pm
  • The last train from Leeds to London is at 3.45pm

London Northwestern Railway

There will be no service on the Abbey Line between Watford Junction and St Albans Abbey between Tuesday, June 21 and Saturday, June 25 (inclusive).

The same applies to the Marston Vale line between Bletchley and Bedford, and the London Euston to Crewe (via Lichfield Trent Valley) route.

A service between London Euston and Northampton, via Watford Junction, will run twice per hour on strike days.

London Overground

A limited service is set to run on London Overground trains between 7.15am and 6.30pm. No trains between Romford and Upminster.

Lumo

A Lumo spokesperson said staff its staff are not striking, but the Network Rail strike could have a knock-on impact for Lumo passengers between London, Stevenage and Scotland.

The spokesperson said: "Lumo will seek to operate as many of our services as possible."

Southern

No service from Watford Junction.

Thameslink and Great Northern

There will be no service in the Thameslink "core" through Farringdon on Network Rail strike days. The Great Northern route into London Moorgate (via Highbury and Islington) is also set to close.

There will be roughly four trains per hour between Luton, St Albans City and London St Pancras International on strike days. The timetable from Stevenage is set to feature around six trains per hour into London King's Cross.

Trains to Gatwick Airport will start at London Bridge, with no Gatwick trains from Hertfordshire. On Sunday, June 26, there will be no trains before 7.15am.

Via St Albans City:

  • Two trains per hour between London St Pancras International and Bedford (fast), calling at St Pancras, West Hampstead Thameslink, St Albans City, Harpenden, Luton Airport Parkway, Luton, Leagrave, Harlington, Flitwick and Bedford.
  • Two trains per hour between London St Pancras International and Luton (stopping), calling at St Pancras International, Kentish Town, West Hampstead Thameslink, Cricklewood, Hendon, Mill Hill Broadway, Elstree and Borehamwood, Radlett, St Albans City, Harpenden, Luton Airport Parkway and Luton.

Via Finsbury Park:

  • Two trains per hour between London King's Cross and Ely, one of which will not stop between London and Cambridge.
  • An additional one train per hour between London King's Cross and Cambridge, calling at King's Cross, Finsbury Park, Stevenage, Hitchin, Letchworth Garden City, Baldock, Ashwell and Morden, Royston and Cambridge.
  • Two trains per hour between London King's Cross and Peterborough (fast)
  • Two trains per hour between London King's Cross and Welwyn Garden City (stopping)
  • Two trains per hour between London King's Cross and Stevenage, via Hertford North (stopping)

Further afield...

A total 13 rail firms and Network Rail are impacted by the three-day strike. Unite the union members at London Underground are also set to walk out on June 21, which could bring the London network to a standstill.

In Somerset, Glastonbury Festival begins on Wednesday, June 22 and runs until Sunday.

Rail passengers heading to Castle Cary for Worthy Farm are likely to face disruption, according to Great Western Railway.

A GWR spokesperson said: "Customers are advised not to book tickets for travel on the strike days announced.

"Those who have already booked their journeys should make alternative travel arrangements."

Elton John is set to play Hyde Park in London on Friday, June 24, with a Rolling Stones set the following day on June 25.

Michael Kill of the Night Time Industries Association said he fears for public safety over the strike period.

He said: "The announcement of UK wide train strikes has sent a shockwave throughout the industry, over concerns for staff and public safety, and the potential impact on trade.

"Limited Rail services across the UK will leave many stranded at night, compromising safety with very few alternative transport services available."

Mr Kill added that transport infrastructure is "vitally important" during the UK festival season.