YORK rail passengers are facing more disruption to their travel plans in September with the news that tens of thousands of railway workers are to stage fresh strikes in a long-running dispute over pay, jobs and conditions.

The Rail, Maritime and Transport union RMT said its members will walk out on September 15 and 17 at Network Rail and 14 train operators.

The operators include York-based LNER, who run services on the East Coast Mainline to London and Edinburgh, TransPennine Express, whose trains run to cities including Leeds, Manchester and Liverpool, Northern, whose services include the York to Harrogate route and CrossCountry, whose services from York run to cities including Birmingham and Bristol.

The union said more than 40,000 of its members will strike, warning it will “effectively shut down” the rail network.

Members of the train drivers’ union Aslef will also walk out at 12 train companies on September 15, threatening travel chaos across the country.

The Transport Salaried Staffs’ Association (TSSA)has also announced that its members at nine train operating companies as well as Network Rail (NR) will walk out from midday on September 26.

Talks between the RMT and rail industry have been ongoing but there has been no breakthrough or new offers from either Network Rail or the operators, the union said.

RMT general secretary Mick Lynch said: “Our members have no choice but to continue this strike action.

“Network Rail and the train operating companies have shown little interest this past few weeks in offering our members anything new in order for us to be able to come to a negotiated settlement."

A Department for Transport spokesperson said: “Yet again, union leaders are choosing self-defeating, co-ordinated strike action over constructive talks, not only disrupting the lives of millions who rely on these services but jeopardising the future of the railways and their own members’ livelihoods."

Andrew Haines, Network Rail chief executive, said: “We want to give our employees a decent pay rise and we’re doing everything we can to find a breakthrough in talks.

“Frustratingly, the RMT’s decision to call further action means we will again have to ask passengers to stay away from the railway on September 15 and 17, at a time when we should be focusing on building a railway fit for a 21st century, post-pandemic Britain.”

Steve Montgomery, chairman of the Rail Delivery Group, said: “These strikes are cynically timed to cause maximum disruption to the very passengers the industry depends on for its recovery.

“From those left out of pocket because they can’t get to work, to people missing vital appointments and thousands of children and young people who depend on the train to get to school, the union leadership’s actions have very real consequences."