The escalation of rail strikes this week has been condemned by the Advantage Travel Partnership chief executive Julia Lo Bue-Said.
She warned that firms will start to rethink whether travelling by train is a “viable mode of transport” amid ongoing disruption to the network.
The head of the independent agency consortium spoke out ahead of train drivers across 15 rail companies staging a walk out tomorrow (Thursday) in addition to four days of action this week by the UK’s largest rail union, the RMT, in an ongoing dispute over pay, job security and conditions.
People are being advised today to travel only if “absolutely necessary” in the face of cancelled and disrupted services.
The RMT says 40,000 workers on Network Rail and 14 train operating companies are taking action on January 3, 4, 6 and 7, shutting down most rail services across the country.
Sixteen million journeys journeys could be hit by what is expected to be the worst week of rail disruption for 30 years.
RMT general secretary Mick Lynch suggested that his members might “need” to carry on industrial action after May if the government does not offer unions a better pay deal.
Meanwhile, Mick Whelan, general secretary of the train drivers’ union ASLEF, warned of a new mandate for industrial action for the next six months.
Lo Bue-Said said: “The start of a new year provides an opportunity for people and businesses to reset and revaluate their plans for the year. Unfortunately, the start of this new year brings further trepidation for so many reliant on the rail network to go about their everyday lives.
“Five consecutive days of national rail strikes does nothing but create further travel chaos and disruption to long term planning for businesses considering whether their reliance on the rail network as a viable mode of transport for their people actually provides businesses with a feasible long term solution. Perhaps leading to more businesses evaluating long term work from home set ups.”
She added: “Our advice to travellers during these strikes would be to only travel is necessary as only about 20% of trains are expected to run on strike days and scheduled hours of operation are being cut back.
“Unions are clearly trying to do what’s best for their members, but in the meantime hardworking people are trying to go about their daily lives and facing no end of disruption.
“We urge the government to work with unions to get these issues resolved to ensure that travel can return to normal as soon as possible this year.”