Thousands face travel chaos access Britain as rail and Border Force strikes continue Jane Clinton Thousands of people face Boxing Day travel chaos across Britain as a rail strike means no services will be running. Many have been forced to cancel or make alternative plans as the industrial action continues. Usually hundreds of departures run on 26 December after the Christmas Day shutdown. However, Network Rail said Britain’s railways were closed for a second consecutive day because of a strike by employees who are members of the Rail, Maritime and Transport union (RMT). The strike is part of a long-running dispute between the RMT, and the train operators and Network Rail over pay, jobs and conditions. Thousands of members of the RMT union at Network Rail went on strike over the festive period from 6pm on Christmas Eve until 6am on 27 December. Disruption was also expected for people travelling to and from airports with no services running on the Stansted Express on Boxing Day. Planned upgrade work on the Heathrow Express means there are no services on Boxing Day, forcing airline passengers to find other ways of getting to and from Britain’s airports. Rail schedules beyond Boxing Day were expected to experience disruption with trains starting later on 27 December owing to the industrial action. The lack of trains has meant more people are expected to travel by road, with coach operators National Express and Megabus reporting heavy demand. The AA expected 15.2m cars to take to the UK roads on Boxing Day as people venture out for the sales and attend football matches. A resolution to the rail dispute appears a long way off with the RMT accusing the government ministers of going “missing” after the latest round of talks. The RMT general secretary, Mick Lynch, said: “Until the government gives the rail industry a mandate to come to a negotiated settlement on job security, pay and conditions of work, our industrial campaign will continue.” Network Rail has said the deal it has put forward is “fair and affordable”. Summary Thousands of people face Boxing Day travel chaos across Britain as a rail strike means no services will be running, meaning that many have been forced to cancel or make alternative plans as the industrial action continues. Network Rail has said railways across the UK will remain closed today due to the strike by employees who are members of the Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) union. Shoppers hoping for a Boxing Day bargain could face traffic jams as rail strikes bring train services to a halt, with the AA saying it expects 15.2m cars on UK roads on Boxing Day. Soldiers and sailors covering for striking Border Force staff at passport control do not have the power to detain people they suspect of criminal activity, leaked documents show. Retailers are preparing for a quieter Boxing Day this year despite freedom from pandemic restrictions as the cost of living crisis weighs on shoppers’ budgets, with an expected 4% decrease on last year. The PCS union has said that although it recognises people will be inconvenienced by the civil service strikes, the blame lies with the government rather than the union. Members of the Public and Commercial Services (PCS) union who normally check passports are striking from 23 December until the end of the year, with the exception of 27 December. Members of the Public and Commercial Services (PCS) union who normally check passports are striking from 23 December until the end of the year, with the exception of 27 December. UK Border Force staff will also strike at the port of Newhaven in East Sussex on the same dates. Almost 2 million passengers are booked to fly into the affected airports during the stoppages. The PCS union has said that although it recognises people will be inconvenienced by the civil service strikes, the blame lies with the government rather than the union. Barclaycard, the credit card firm, predicts that the average person will spend £229 in the post-Christmas sales, £18 less than last year, which can be partly attributed to the cost-of-living crisis. The AA also forecasts that 15.2m cars will be on the roads during the day. The motoring organisation said: “Traffic is likely to build around shopping centres as lots of people seek a bargain in the sales. Meanwhile, football fans will travel to see their teams.” It said there could be “localised” congestion, but added: “Traffic should be dispersed throughout the day as people take their time after Christmas Day.” A survey of 2,000 would-be shoppers by Barclaycard found that 42% said the higher cost of living would cause a reduction in post-Christmas sales. Dr Sarah Montano, a retail expert and senior lecturer of marketing at the University of Birmingham, said: “For many consumers, obviously they would’ve been shopping pre-Christmas, as we had the Black Friday sales and things like that. “As we move into the new year, we expect consumers to be a bit cautious because of course, the heating bills will still be to come for consumers and that will impact on their discretionary spending.” Harshna Cayley, head of online payments at Barclaycard Payments, said: “The rising cost of living and inflationary pressures have naturally had an impact on the amount being spent in the post-Christmas sales this year. “Having said that, retailers can take confidence knowing that shoppers still plan to make the most of the deals and discounts on offer.” Shoppers are expected to spend 4% less on Boxing Day and during the post-Christmas sales as the cost of living crisis continues to bite, according to new data. Retailers are preparing for a quieter Boxing Day this year despite freedom from pandemic restrictions as the cost of living crisis weighs on shoppers’ budgets. Spending is expected to hit almost £3.8bn on 26 December, according to research by GlobalData for Vouchercodes. That is down almost 4% on last year, which was already a tough one for retailers because of fears of the Omicron variant of Covid-19, which deterred some people from hitting the high street and led to restrictions on store openings in some areas. That revenue figure indicates a big dive in the volume of items bought, given that inflation is running at more than 10%, so shoppers will be spending more per purchase. More than a third of this year’s Boxing Day bargain hunting is expected to be done online, where £1.25bn will be spent. Adding to the dampener on the traditional post-Christmas shopping spree is the fact that multiple major chains – including Aldi, Iceland, John Lewis, Pets at Home, Poundland and Beaverbrooks – will be closed on Boxing Day. Many are carrying on a tradition started in the pandemic, and in some cases even earlier, of rewarding hard-working staff with a day of rest after the busy festive shopping season. You can read more of Sarah Butler’s reporting in the linked article. In case you missed it, rail passengers faced delays as they rushed to get the last trains before Christmas Eve services came to a halt, while Britain’s roads were braced for extra traffic as a result of the strikes on the railways. People embarking on festive getaways or heading home for the holidays gathered on the concourses of major stations including London Euston and Birmingham New Street. Thousands of members of the RMT union at Network Rail are striking from 6pm on Christmas Eve until 6am on 27 December. The last intercity trains on some long-distance routes departed as early as 8am. Some main routes were not due to operate at all, partly due to ongoing industrial action that includes an overtime ban at train operating companies. Services from Euston to Crewe, Manchester Piccadilly, Glasgow Central and Birmingham International were all delayed, with a limited staff presence as travellers waited anxiously with their luggage. Soldiers and sailors covering for striking Border Force staff at passport control do not have the power to detain people they suspect of criminal activity, leaked documents show. Emails reveal that people suspected of crimes such as carrying a false passport, drug smuggling, people trafficking and victims of modern slavery cannot be stopped by members of the armed forces if they hold valid travel documents. Instead, a separate intervention has to be sought for suspected serious criminals or their victims from a fully trained Border Force officer, most of whom are currently on strike. One Royal Navy officer warned in the emails that the inability to detain might “impact op [operational] capability during industrial action”. The disclosure goes some way to explain why there has been little disruption at UK ports and airport since the PCS strike for improved pay and conditions began on Friday. One email, sent on 22 December, shows that a Royal Navy sub-lieutenant wrote to Border Force and Home Office civil servants asking whether Royal Navy staff working at Manchester had the power to detain suspects. He wrote: “RN personnel currently deployed at Manchester airport are currently prevented from completion and issue of IS81 and must not be involved in detention activity, referring to a BF officer. This may impact op [operational] capability during industrial action.” An IS81 form gives immigration officers the authority to detain people while they undertake further inquiries, according to Home Office documents. It has to be issued even if someone is detained for just two minutes for a minor check. A senior Border Force officer replied, saying that armed personnel had not been given enough training to detain suspects. “Received email below following my discussion with C2 Navy lead at Manchester. They have said that they cannot issue an IS81 and this has to be done by a Border Force officer as there was only training up to IS81. Can this be clarified as a matter of urgency,” he wrote. Here is a reminder of the upcoming strikes which have been announced by up until January. Up to 15.2m cars expected on UK roads today, AA predicts Shoppers hoping for a Boxing Day bargain could face traffic jams as rail strikes bring train services to a halt, with the AA saying it expects 15.2m cars on UK roads on Boxing Day, with shoppers and football fans among those likely to travel. A spokesman said: “Traffic is likely to build around shopping centres as lots of people seek a bargain in the sales, meanwhile football fans will travel to see their teams. “There is scope for localised traffic congestion and more short trips, but traffic should be dispersed throughout the day as people take their time after Christmas Day.” New data predicts shoppers will spend 4% less this Boxing Day and during the post-Christmas sales due to the cost-of-living crisis. Research by Barclaycard Payments found that the average shopper intends to buy £229 worth of items in the post-Christmas sales period, a reduction of £18 compared with 2021. Network Rail has said railways across the UK will remain closed today due to the strike by employees who are members of the Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) union. Merseyrail announced no trains would be running on Boxing Day. ScotRail usually has a Boxing Day service in the Strathclyde area - but there will be no services there this year. Northern operated a service between Liverpool Lime Street and St Helens Central on Boxing Day last year, but the company has said there will be no trains running on Monday. There will also be no Southern services. Trains do not usually run on Boxing Day, apart from some airport transfer services, such as the Stansted Express and Heathrow Express. Thousands face travel chaos access Britain as rail and Border Force strikes continue Jane Clinton Thousands of people face Boxing Day travel chaos across Britain as a rail strike means no services will be running. Many have been forced to cancel or make alternative plans as the industrial action continues. Usually hundreds of departures run on 26 December after the Christmas Day shutdown. However, Network Rail said Britain’s railways were closed for a second consecutive day because of a strike by employees who are members of the Rail, Maritime and Transport union (RMT). The strike is part of a long-running dispute between the RMT, and the train operators and Network Rail over pay, jobs and conditions. Thousands of members of the RMT union at Network Rail went on strike over the festive period from 6pm on Christmas Eve until 6am on 27 December. Disruption was also expected for people travelling to and from airports with no services running on the Stansted Express on Boxing Day. Planned upgrade work on the Heathrow Express means there are no services on Boxing Day, forcing airline passengers to find other ways of getting to and from Britain’s airports. Rail schedules beyond Boxing Day were expected to experience disruption with trains starting later on 27 December owing to the industrial action. The lack of trains has meant more people are expected to travel by road, with coach operators National Express and Megabus reporting heavy demand. The AA expected 15.2m cars to take to the UK roads on Boxing Day as people venture out for the sales and attend football matches. A resolution to the rail dispute appears a long way off with the RMT accusing the government ministers of going “missing” after the latest round of talks. The RMT general secretary, Mick Lynch, said: “Until the government gives the rail industry a mandate to come to a negotiated settlement on job security, pay and conditions of work, our industrial campaign will continue.” Network Rail has said the deal it has put forward is “fair and affordable”.