Travellers face chaos on the railways in the run-up to Christmas after train workers announced a new wave of strike dates today.
Rail staff will stage a series of 48-hour walkouts in December and January in the long-running dispute over pay, jobs and conditions, the RMT union announced.
More than 40,000 RMT members across Network Rail and 14 train companies will take strike action on December 13, 14, 16 and 17 and on January 3, 4, 6 and 7.
There will also be an overtime ban across the railways from December 18 until January 2, meaning industrial action will last for four weeks.
RMT General Secretary Mick Lynch said: "We have been reasonable, but it is impossible to find a negotiated settlement when the dead hand of Government is presiding over and blocking a resolution in these talks."
The union has blamed the Government for failing to let operating firms table a new offer as two weeks of talks broke down.
Three days of strike action earlier this month were suspended at the 11th hour, as new Transport Secretary Mark Harper pledged to intervene in talks that have already dragged on for six months.
Mr Lynch accused Mr Harper of being "intent on blocking any deal being developed between the parties" - and said he would challenge the top Tory at a meeting this week.
He said the employers were in "disarray" and said the whole process had become a "farce".
He said: "Our message to the public is we are sorry to inconvenience you, but we urge you to direct your anger and frustration at the Government and the railway employers during this latest phase of action."
Speaking to reporters outside the RMT's London HQ, Mr Lynch said he expected the action to have "serious impacts" at Network Rail as engineering work had been pencilled in for this period.
"We expect it to impact the entire railway service," he warned.
The RMT boss said he was open to coordinating walkout with other unions taking action during this period.
But Mr Lynch dismissed claims he was a "Grinch", saying: "You can call us what you want... I'm not the Grinch, I'm a trade union official and I'm determined to get a deal.
The RMT secured a fresh six-month mandate for strikes last week, meaning walkouts could continue as late as May.
The union boss previously told the Mirror that strike action could continue into Spring if companies do not make a new offer.
He said earlier this month: “It could. I don’t want that, it’s not my plan. We don't have a plan for an end date or ‘it's got to continue’.
“We're not in this for the sake of it. We want the companies to make us proposals that will settle the dispute.”
Railways have been battered since May by the biggest strikes since privatisation over pay, conditions and 2,500 Network Rail maintenance job cuts.
ASLEF members at 12 companies – Avanti West Coast; Chiltern Railways; CrossCountry; East Midlands Railway; Great Western Railway; Greater Anglia; London North Eastern Railway; London Overground; Northern Trains; Southeastern; Transpennine Express, and West Midlands Trains - will already strike on November 26.
The RMT said it had only suspended its strike action on the basis that firms and Network Rail would make new proposals by November 17.
Downing Street said warned unions that further strike action risked "putting the future of the rail industry in jeopardy".
The Prime Minister's official spokesman said: "We are continuing to call on union leaders to work with employers to come to an agreement that is fair to passengers, taxpayers and workers.
"The public are simply wanting to get about their lives, whether that's getting to work, Christmas shopping, whatever it might be, and I think people should be mindful of that."
A Rail Delivery Group spokesman said: "We made real progress over the last fortnight of talks and for the first time in months we can see the outline of a credible deal.
"Further strikes, especially in the run up to Christmas, will disrupt the first normal festive season our passengers have been able to look forward to since the Covid pandemic, taking even more money out of the pockets of railway staff, and will cause huge damage to the hospitality and retail sectors dependent on this time of the year for their businesses.
"We owe it to them to stay round the table."
Tim Shoveller, Network Rail's chief negotiator, said: "No-one can deny the precarious financial hole in which the railway finds itself. Striking makes that hole bigger and the task of finding a resolution ever more difficult.
"Only through reform, that will not result in anyone losing their job, can savings be made that can then be converted into an improved offer.
"While progress has been made over these last two weeks, we still have yet to find that breakthrough.
"We will not give up and hope that the RMT will return to the table with a more realistic appreciation of the situation."
