Rail strikes in June will 'shut down the train network and make journeys to big events difficult.
The Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) union has set dates for three days of strikes in June. The union and its Secretary General, Mick Lynch, say the walkout will be the biggest rail strike in generations, with staff from Network Rail and 13 operators set to head to picket lines around the country.
While there is hope that talks could see the strike called off, the RMT says it will take "new proposals" to convince railway workers to accept a deal. Around one in five trains are likely to run if the strike does go ahead, and likely only on main routes.
Read more: The trains and stations set to be affected by huge strike
June is a popular time for Brits to go on holiday, while there are also huge events that clash with the strikes. They include festivals, concerts and sports fixtures around the country.
Railway and train workers will go on strike on Tuesday June 21, Thursday June 23, and Saturday June 25 in a dispute over pay, jobs and pensions.
The Glastonbury Festival, in Somerset, South West England, opens on Wednesday June 22, but many will have planned to take railway journeys from around the UK to Bristol on June 21 and June 23 to get to the site before the first full day of music on Friday June 24.
Other events that week include England playing New Zealand in a test match in Leeds, the British athletics championships in Manchester, and gigs in London’s Hyde Park by Elton John (June 24) and the Rolling Stones (June 25). There will also be a Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting in London on June 24/25 and it is Armed Forces Day on June 25.
In the North East, the strikes clash with Plate Day at Newcastle Racecourse, due to be held on Saturday June 25.
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