UK Government and Rail Union Blame Each Other as Passengers Hit by Another Train Strike

A Southeastern High Speed train leaves Ashford station in Kent under a reduced timetable during a strike by members of the Rail, Maritime, and Transport union (RMT) on Jan. 3, 2023. PA

The Transport Secretary Mark Harper has told the Rail, Maritime, and Transport (RMT) union to get “off the picket line and round the negotiating table,” while the RMT has blamed the government as a 48-hour train strike crippled services up and down the country.

Half of Britain’s railway lines were not operating on Tuesday, which is the first day back for workers in England and Wales after the Christmas and New Year break.