Bristol RMT strikes August 2022: What dates will strikes take place - which rail companies, routes affected?

Bristol commuters are preparing for the next round of industrial action as RMT go on strike this Thursday and Saturday (August 18 and August 20), with Transport for London also going on strike on Friday August 19, affecting onward commutes within London.

Over 40,000 workers are once again set to walk out this week due to disputes over pay, job security and working conditions.

“Network Rail have upped the ante threatening to impose compulsory redundancies and unsafe 50% cuts to maintenance work, if we did not withdraw our planned strike action” RMT general secretary Mick Lynch explained.

“The train operating companies have put driver only operations on the table along with ransacking our members’ terms and conditions.

“RMT will continue to negotiate in good faith but we will not be bullied or cajoled by anyone. The government needs to stop their interference in this dispute so the rail employers can come to a negotiated settlement with us.”

When will the next strikes take place?

RMT have advised that strike action will take place this week on Thursday 18 August and Saturday 20 August.

This week will also see Transport for London take strike action on Friday 19 August with the tube, night tube, London Overground and Night Overground and selected bus services not in service.

Which rail companies will be affected by the strikes?

The following rail companies will once again be taking part in the organised strikes:

• Chiltern Railways
• Cross Country Trains
• Greater Anglia
• LNER
• East Midlands Railway
• c2c
• Great Western Railway
• Northern Trains
• South Eastern
• South Western Railway
• TransPennine Express
• Avanti West Coast
• West Midlands Trains
• GTR (including Gatwick Express)

What routes will be affected by the strikes?

Great Western Railways are currently stating that the following routes will be affected by the additional strike action in August:

• All lines in Cornwall, including all branch lines 
• All branch lines in Devon (Barnstaple, Exmouth, Paignton, Okehampton) 
• South Wales main line (Carmarthen/Swansea-Cardiff Central) 
• Berks & Hants line (Reading-Taunton via Castle Cary) 
• Wessex main line (Bath Spa-Portsmouth Harbour) 
• Heart of Wessex line (Westbury-Weymouth) 
• TransWilts line (Swindon-Westbury via Melksham) 
• Severn Beach line (Bristol Temple Meads-Severn Beach) 
• North Cotswolds line (Hereford/Worcester-Oxford) 
• South Cotswolds line (Cheltenham Spa-Swindon) 
• Worcester/Gloucester-Bristol 
• Greenford branch line 
• North Downs line (Reading-Gatwick Airport) 
• South Coast (Westbury-Southampton/Portsmouth Harbour)

There will also be no bus replacement service running during the industrial action taking place and commuters are once again advised to arrange alternative means of transport during the strikes.

Should any further routes be affected by this industrial action they will be amended to the above list.

Why are the strikes taking place?

Much like the strikes that took place in June, the National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers (RMT) are disputing the pay and working conditions of the members.

The latest round of negotiations with Network Rail led to today’s strike, with union bosses calling the terms “paltry.”

Network Rail had offered workers a 4% pay increase for the remainder of 2022, with an additional 4% pay increase a possibility in the new year should workers accept changes to their current working conditions.

The RMT however believe that the latest round of negotiations are an attack on the current terms and conditions their members adhere to.