Train
operators
are
warning
that
their
services
will
be
badly
disrupted
over
the
next
five
days.

There
will
be
two
48-hour
RMT
strikes,
the
first
of
which
started
this
morning.
The
second
will
be
on
Friday
and
Saturday,
while
ASLEF
drivers
will
strike
on
the
intervening
Thursday.

RMT
general
secretary
Mick
Lynch
has
claimed
that
the
government
has
been
on
‘radio
silence’
since
before
Christmas.
He
said:
‘The
executives
who
run
the
industry
day
on
day
are
in
despair
at
what
the
government
is
making
them
say
in
these
talks.’

The
Department
for
Transport
has
denied
accusations
of
silence,
saying
the
rail
minister
had
remained
‘in
regular
contact
with
all
parties
and
the
government
had
taken
significant
steps
to
enable
a
deal.’

It
added:
‘Unions
should
step
back
from
this
strike
action
so
we
can
start
2023
by
ending
this
damaging
dispute.’

The
Rail
Delivery
Group
has
repeated
that
reforms
to
working
arrangements
are
an
essential
part
of
any
settlement.
These
may
include
the
widespread
closure
of
ticket
offices
and
more
driver-only
trains.

Meanwhile,
the
West
Coast
Main
Line
has
been
blocked
by
flood
damage
at
Carstairs,
after
heavy
rain
eroded
both
sides
of
an
embankment
on
Friday.
Network
Rail
said
its
engineers
are
‘working
around
the
clock
to
remove
landslip
material
affecting
a
40m
long
section
of
the
line
before
beginning
to
reinforce
the
area
with
over
200
tonnes
of
new
stone’.

The
track
itself
will
have
to
relaid
and
signalling
circuits
checked
before
train
services
can
return
north
of
Carlisle,
and
Network
Rail
has
estimated
that
repairs
will
take
until
Friday
this
week.