Rail strikes: Students frustrated by Christmas walk-outs

Travel disruption is causing "frustration" for students as rail strikes have returned, with more planned over the festive period.

Two 48-hour walkouts are being held from Tuesday and Friday with further action expected this month and January.

The RMT union said 40,000 workers would walk out in a dispute over pay and conditions after latest talks failed.

Network Rail - which manages railway infrastructure - said passengers should only travel if absolutely necessary.

Transport for Wales (TfW) said it was not involved in the action but was still unable to run services on Network Rail's tracks during strike days.

Platforms at Swansea station were empty on Tuesday

It said limited services were operating only between Cardiff and Newport and core valleys lines during the action.

Swansea University student Huw Gwynn, 21, from Bangor, Gwynedd, said he understood why the industrial action was being taken but it was "frustrating for people who rely on getting trains".

"It's very problematic to be honest," he said. "It makes it really difficult for me to schedule everything."

The third-year Welsh student has been affected before, making a near nine-hour bus journey to get home.

• Ambulance staff to strike on 21 December

• Nurses strike to go ahead in Wales

It's an experience echoed by Katie Howell, a fourth-year graphic design student in Wrexham.

She had booked a ticket home to Gloucester a few weeks ago when prices were lower but was told last week her train was no longer running.

"It's just annoying," she said.

"It's adding stress to this time of year because I've got lots of work that I need to do and I am trying to get as much work done before Christmas as possible so it just adds to all that."

Wrexham student Katie Howell said her plans to get home to Gloucester had also been affected by the rail strikes

The action has also meant missing out on university events as she is now having to travel home earlier because booking an alternative ticket would be "double the price".

Katie said the ticket she has only allowed her to use it on a few alternative days and she could not book seats on any of the services available so felt it will be a "massive free for all".

The strike action by the RMT was confirmed after the union rejected the latest pay offer on Monday.

The union represents staff at Network Rail who maintain the railways, such as signallers and maintenance workers, as well as workers at 14 train operating companies.

When are the rail strikes?

• 13-14 December

• 16-17 December

• 24-27 December

• 3-4 January

• 6-7 January

TfW said services would also be affected on Thursday - a non-strike day - as a result of the strike action, meaning first trains of the day will start after 07:00 GMT from most stations.

And some late evening services are not expected to run, with passengers advised to check their journeys in advance.

The rail sector is not the only industry facing strike action this month with walkouts expected by postal workers, baggage handlers, highway workers and nurses.

• Will the clash between workers and firms ever end?

• Union alarm at Army plan to tackle airport strikes

Workers are seeking better working conditions and pay increases to keep up with the cost of living.

The RMT is involved in two sets of talks; one with Network Rail and another with the Rail Delivery Group (RDG) which represents 14 train companies.

Union official Steven Skelly said they had rejected offers as they were "below inflation and involve huge cuts to jobs", adding that they would also result in "dramatic changes" to terms and conditions of employment.

The strike action comes after the RMT union rejected the latest pay offer

He added that RMT members "disagree with the profit motive and cost cutting agenda that seems to be driving this".

The rail industry is under pressure to save money after the pandemic left a hole in its finances, and bosses have said that reforms were needed to modernise rail services and make pay rises affordable.

Network Rail boss Andrew Haines said the RMT needed to "think long and hard about what to do next".

"Further strike action will cause further misery for the rail industry and for their members who will lose pay," he said.

"We will continue to work closely with operators to run as many services as possible but we continue to ask passengers to only travel if absolutely necessary."

• HOW THIS BLIND GIRL...: How will Ceri manage returning to the dating scene?

• BAFTA CYMRU WINNERS: Celebrate the best television from Wales