Boxing Day strikes: Thousands face travel chaos across Britain as rail workers and border forces continue to work

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Thousands face travel chaos to Britain as strikes by rail and border forces continue

Jane Clinton

Thousands of people face travel chaos on Boxing Day across Britain as a railway strike means no services will operate.

Many were forced to cancel or make alternative plans as the industrial strike continued.

Hundreds of Departures usually run on the 26th of December after closing on Christmas Day.

However, Network Rail said British Rail was closed for the second consecutive day due to a strike by staff members of the Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) union.

The strike is part of a long-running dispute between RMT, train operators and Network Rail over wages, jobs and conditions.

Thousands of Network Rail’s RMT union members went on strike over the festive period from 6pm on Christmas Eve until 6am on 27 December.

Disruption for people traveling to and from airports with no services running on the Stansted Express was also expected on Boxing Day.

Planned upgrade work on the Heathrow Express means there are no services on Boxing Day, forcing airline travelers to find other ways to get to and from Britain’s airports.

Train times after Boxing Day were expected to experience disruption with trains starting later on 27 December due to the industrial strike.

The lack of trains has meant more people are expected to travel by road, with bus operators National Express and Megabus reporting high demand.

AA predicted that 15.2 million cars will hit UK roads on Boxing Day as people venture into sales and football matches.

A solution to the railway dispute seems a long way off as the RMT accuses government ministers of being “missing” after the latest round of talks.

RMT General Secretary Mick Lynch said: “Until the government gives the rail industry a mandate to reach a negotiated settlement on job security, wages and working conditions, our industrial campaign will continue.”

Network Rail said the deal it offered was “fair and affordable”.

Updated at 08.45 GMT

main events

Rajeev Shawl

The leaked documents show that soldiers and sailors covering striking Border Patrol agents at passport control do not have the authority to detain people suspected of criminal activity.

The emails reveal that people suspected of crimes such as carrying a false passport, drug trafficking, human trafficking and victims of modern slavery cannot be stopped by members of the armed forces if they have valid travel documents.

Instead, a separate intervention for suspected serious criminals or their victims should be sought from a fully trained Border Patrol officer, most of whom are currently on strike.

One Royal Navy officer warned in emails that the inability to hold could “affect the op [operational] ability during industrial work.”

The disclosure explains in a way why there has been little disruption to UK ports and airports since the PCS strike to improve wages and conditions that began on Friday.

One email, sent on December 22, shows that a Royal Navy officer wrote to Border Force and Home Office staff asking if Royal Navy personnel serving in Manchester had the authority to detain suspects.

He wrote: “RN personnel currently deployed to Manchester Airport are currently prohibited from completing and issuing IS81 and must not engage in detention activity,” referring to the BF officer. This may affect the ref. [operational] ability during industrial work.”

Form IS81 gives immigration officers the power to detain people while they conduct further investigations, according to Home Office documents. It must be issued even if a person is held for only two minutes because of a simple check.

A senior Border Police officer responded that the armed personnel had not been adequately trained to detain the suspects.

“I received the email below after my discussion with the Commander of the Navy C2 in Manchester. They said they could not issue the IS81 and it had to be done by a Border Force officer as there was only training up until the IS81. Could this be clarified urgently?

Here is a reminder of the upcoming hits announced through January.

AA predicts that there will be 15.2 million cars on UK roads today

Shoppers hoping for a Boxing Day bargain could face traffic jams as rail strikes halt train services, with the AA saying it expects 15.2 million cars on UK roads on Boxing Day, with shoppers and football fans among those likely to they travel.

A spokesperson said: “Traffic is likely to congregate around shopping malls as many people seek a bargain in sales, meanwhile football fans will be traveling to watch their teams.

“There is room for local traffic jams and more short trips, but traffic needs to be distributed throughout the day as people spend their time after Christmas Day.”

The new data projects that shoppers will spend 4% less this Boxing Day and during 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, which is a decrease of £18 compared to 2021.

Updated at 09.15 GMT

Network Rail said that rail across the UK will remain closed today due to a strike by staff members of the Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) union.

Merseyrail has announced that no trains will be running on Boxing Day.

ScotRail usually offers a Boxing Day service in the Strathclyde area – but there will be no services there this year.

Northern ran a service between Liverpool Lime Street and St Helens Central on Boxing Day last year, but the company said there would 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 shuttle services, such as the Stansted Express and Heathrow Express.

Updated at 08.40 GMT

Thousands face travel chaos to Britain as strikes by rail and border forces continue