The biggest railway strike in years moved a step closer after staff working for 15 train operators voted to take industrial action in a row over jobs, pay and conditions.
Members of the Rail Maritime and Transport (RMT) union who work for operators including LNER, Northern, TransPennine and CrossCountry voted to back industrial action in the coming weeks. A strike date has yet to be confirmed, but mid-June is likely, unless the two sides agree on a deal.
The RMT says the vote to strike was the biggest endorsement for industrial actions on the rail network since it was privatised in the 1990s. There is still hope an agreement can be made to avoid the shutdown.