The strikes over the festive period were announced on Friday (Picture: Geoffrey Swaine/Shutterstock)
Those looking to travel home for Christmas could find their journey will be ruined, as train workers are set to strike over four days in December.
RMT Union members working for Cross Country announced on Friday that they will walk out over pay and other problems on multiple Saturdays next month.
It comes after a proposal by the rail company, which workers described as ‘worse than what was already on the table’.
Cross Country serves major cities and more than 100 stations across the UK, from the south of England to Scotland.
Why are rail workers striking?
Sign up for all of the latest stories
Start your day informed with Metro's News Updates newsletter or get Breaking News alerts the moment it happens.
Workers on Cross Country services are striking over long-term problems on pay and staffing – all part of a number of ‘broken promises’.
The union said it has ‘tried repeatedly for months’ to reach an agreement but the company had not honoured agreed decisions on overtime pay, staff resourcing and wage discrepancies for workers on different grades.
RMT general secretary Eddie Dempsey said: ‘Cross Country has not dealt with the core issues in this dispute and has come back with a proposal that is worse than what was already on the table.
Cross Country serves major cities and more than 100 stations across the UK (Picture: Getty)
‘Our members are still facing unresolved staffing shortages, unfair pay outcomes and broken commitments.’‘RMT members have been left with no choice but to take strike action.’‘The company must return with a serious offer that meets the commitments it has already made and treats our members with the fairness and respect they deserve.’
Managing director at CrossCountry Shiona Rolfe said the company has worked hard to ‘make a reasonable offer that addresses the key points raised in this dispute’.
She told Sky News: ‘Our priority remains reaching an agreement that avoids disruption for passengers in the busy Christmas period, and we are ready to continue talks at any time.’
Strike action will take place next month on CrossCountry following a failure to resolve longstanding issues on pay, staffing and previous agreements. https://t.co/n5JpplQOxW
— RMT (@RMTunion) November 21, 2025
Which services will be affected?
Cross Country has not shared which specific will be affected by the walkouts and its ‘industrial action’ page has not been updated yet.
However on previous strike days the operator kept some of the main corridors open but longer-distance and less frequent routes were suspended.
Other train services will also be disrupted over the festive period due to essential engineering works across Network Rail so check your journey ahead of time.
On Boxing Day there will be very limited services across a small number of operators.
When are the strikes taking place?
The strikes will happen throughout December but will not take place on any of the key Christmas public holidays.
The strikes will happen on:
- Saturday, December 6
- Saturday, December 13
- Saturday, December 20
- Saturday, December 27
What alternatives do travellers have?
The best way to avoid disruptions is to plan your journey ahead and travel on non-strike days and consider travelling earlier or later than planned to avoid busy periods.
More Trending
-
Missing woman found buried in shallow grave after 'flying to Florida to be killed'
Channel: UK UK 1 day ago By Barney Davis - Elderly man dies after being robbed outside post office while taking money out
- Passengers left stranded after signal fault blocks lines from London Euston
- First picture of rough sleeper, 30, crushed to death in back of bin lorry
Use alternative providers including switching to buses or coaches which may have more availability on strike das.
Check Trainline or National Rail regularly as temporary timetables will be updated close to the day.
Could the strikes still be called off?
While dates have officially been set, both sides are in ongoing discussions and its possible the strikes could be called off.
The RMT called off a planned strike on November 1 after new proposals were put forward so if a better deal is put forward there’s still room for the dispute to be resolved before the walkouts begin.
What compensation can passengers claim?
Even on strike days you can be compensated for disruptions. If your journey is delayed by more than 30 minutes or cancelled, you can claim money back through the Delay Repay scheme.
For trains delayed between 30 and 59 minutes, you’ll be able to claim half of what you paid for the single journey ticket. Any delays over an hour and you can get all of your money refunded for the ticket.
For return tickets, if either leg is delayed by 60-119 minutes, you can claim half of what you paid for. If it’s delayed by 120 minutes or more, you can claim the full return fare.
Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at [email protected].
For more stories like this, check our news page.
Arrow MORE: Jeremy Clarkson’s £95 advent calendar sparks complaints from concerned customers
Arrow MORE: The best dessert-inspired drinks from Aldi, M&S and Sainsbury’s — and one is ‘bang on’
Arrow MORE: Our honest reviews of 2025 Christmas sandwiches from major UK supermarkets
Comment now Comments Add Metro as a Preferred Source on Google Add as preferred source News UpdatesStay on top of the headlines with daily email updates.
Email I agree to receive newsletters from Metro I agree to receive newsletters from Metro Sign UpSign UpThis site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. Your information will be used in line with our Privacy Policy
