A summer of rail strikes across Britain moved a significant step closer after the Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) union announced an “overwhelming” vote in favour of industrial action. Its ballots of more than 40,000 railway workers closed on Tuesday evening, and 89% voted in favour of a strike, the RMT said, on a turnout of 71%. The votes took place across 15 train operating companies and most significantly includes Network Rail, whose signallers could halt the railway if they walk out. The RMT said it was the biggest endorsement for industrial action by railway workers since privatisation. However, the union is unlikely to call strikes immediately, but will use the mandate to strengthen its hand in talks with Network Rail and the train firms as it seeks to mitigate the effect of significant cost cutting on the rail network. Pay has been frozen since 2020 for most staff and the union has warned that 2,500 jobs could be lost as Network Rail seeks to save more than £100m a year by reforming maintenance work. Industry bosses appealed for continued negotiations, saying a strike would cost the industry around £30m a day, when revenues are already well below pre-Covid levels. The Network Rail chief executive, Andrew Haines, said the union had “jumped the gun”, and that strikes would be disastrous for the railway’s recovery, as well as hugely affecting vital supply and freight chains. He added: “We know our people are concerned about job security and pay. As a public body we have been working on offering a pay increase that taxpayers can afford, and we continue to discuss this with our trade unions. “The taxpayer has provided the industry with £16bn worth of additional life support over the last two years and that cannot continue. Travel habits have changed forever and the railway has to change as well to adapt to this new reality.” Mick Lynch, the RMT general secretary, said: “Today’s overwhelming endorsement by railway workers is a vindication of the union’s approach and sends a clear message that members want a decent pay rise, job security and no compulsory redundancies. “Our NEC [national executive committee] will now meet to discuss a timetable for strike action from mid-June, but we sincerely hope ministers will encourage the employers to return to the negotiating table and hammer out a reasonable settlement.” Staff at all the firms bar the Isle of Wight’s Island Line voted for industrial action, although staff of one of the biggest commuter networks, GTR, which includes Southern and Thameslink, voted for action short of a strike.