When are there train strikes in September 2023? List of rail strike dates and if there will be more walkouts

Train travel in the UK have been disrupted by strikes for over a year, and the industrial action shows little sign of coming to an end.

There were three days of walkouts organised by the Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) union last month, while the Aslef drivers’ union has been implementing overtime bans.

More strike dates have already been announced for September – here’s what to expect.

When are the rail strikes in September?

Rail staff represented by the RMT will strike on Saturday 26 August and Saturday 2 September. More than 20,000 workers are set to walk out at the following 14 train companies, bringing much of the rail network to a standstill:

• Avanti West Coast
• c2c
• Chiltern Railways
• CrossCountry
• East Midlands Railway
• Great Western Railway
• Greater Anglia
• LNER
• Northern Trains
• Southeastern
• South Western Railway
• Transpennine Express
• West Midlands Trains and GTR (including Gatwick Express)

Drivers represented by Alsef are holding a separate strike on Friday 1 September, while the union will also ban overtime on Saturday 2 September.

The following operators are affected by the Aslef action:

• Avanti West Coast
• c2c
• Chiltern Railways
• CrossCountry
• East Midlands Railway
• Greater Anglia
• GTR Great Northern Thameslink
• Great Western Railway
• Island Line
• LNER
• Northern Trains
• Southeastern
• Southern/Gatwick Express
• South Western Railway
• TransPennine Express
• West Midlands Trains

Both unions could call additional strikes later in the month, as the disputes remain unresolved.

Why are train strikes still happening?

The RMT said it had been left with “little choice” but to take further action as it had seen no improved or revised offer from the Rail Delivery Group (RDG), which represents the rail companies.

RMT general secretary, Mick Lynch, said: “The mood among our members remains solid and determined in our national dispute over pay job security and working conditions.

“We have had to call further strike action as we have received no improved or revised offer from the Rail Delivery Group (RDG).

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“The reason for this is the Government has not allowed them a fresh mandate on which discussions could be held. Our members and our union will continue fighting until we can reach a negotiated and just settlement.”

An RDG spokesperson said: “With further strike action the RMT are once again targeting customers looking to enjoy various sporting events, festivals and the end of the summer holidays, disrupting their plans and forcing more cars on to the road.

“We have now made three offers, the latest of which would have given staff pay rises of up to 13 per cent as well as job security guarantees, and the RMT executive have blocked this without a convincing explanation.

“We remain open to talks and we have said repeatedly that we want to give our people a pay rise, but until the union leadership and executive is united in what it wants and engages in good faith with the 30 per cent shortfall in revenue the industry is continuing to grapple with post-Covid, it is difficult to move forward.”

Mick Whelan, Aslef general secretary, said: “We don’t want to take this action but the train companies, and the Government which stands behind them, have forced us into this place because they refuse to sit down and talk to us and have not made a fair and sensible pay offer to train drivers who have not had one for four years – since 2019 – while prices have soared in that time by more than 12 per cent.

“The Government appears happy to let passengers – and businesses – suffer in the mistaken belief that they can bully us into submission. They don’t care about passengers, or Britain’s railway, but they will not break us.”

An RDG spokesperson said: “Further strike action by the Aslef leadership is unnecessary and will cause more disruption to passengers looking to enjoy various sporting events and the end of the summer holidays.

“The union leadership has its head in the sand and refuses to put our fair and reasonable offer to their members.”