Around 50,000 railway workers are set to stage a walkout this month as part of a strike over pay and potential job losses.

Staff at Network Rail - which looks after the track and signals - and 13 rail firms are taking part in the strike on Tuesday June 21, Thursday June 23, and Saturday June 25.

Train companies are running a reduced timetable throughout strike week, with passengers advised not to travel if they can avoid it.

Network Rail will be forced to shut several lines in the county.

A map published on Wednesday, June 15 shows there will be no service on strike days:

  • between Ely or Cambridge and Ipswich, through Newmarket
  • between Ely and King's Lynn, through Downham Market
  • between Ely and Norwich, through Thetford
  • between Ely and Peterborough, through March and Whittlesey

Andrew Haines, Network Rail chief executive, said: "Talks have not progressed as far as I had hoped and so we must prepare for a needless national rail strike and the damaging impact it will have.

"We, and our train operating colleagues, are gearing up to run the best service we can for passengers and freight users next week despite the actions of the RMT."

It is the first time that train signalling staff - now employed by Network Rail - have opted to strike since 1994.

Mick Lynch, RMT general secretary, said a pay freeze for staff throughout the railway sector - not just drivers - amounts to a drop in pay amid the current cost-of-living crisis.

Mr Lynch said: "We have a cost of living crisis, and it is unacceptable for railway workers to either lose their jobs or face another year of a pay freeze when inflation is at 11.1 percent and rising."

He said RMT is open to talks with the government and sector leaders.

CrossCountry

"Due to industrial action by RMT union we will run a significantly reduced service," a CrossCountry spokesperson said.

"Days either side of the industrial action are also expected to be affected.

"There will be significant disruption to services across the rail network, please only travel by train if your journey is necessary."

Draft CrossCountry timetables show the firm will not run its usual Birmingham to Stansted Airport, via Cambridge, train on strike days. The route will be cut short at Leicester.

On days either side of the strike, a limited train is likely to run. Buses replace trains between Cambridge and Peterborough, via Ely, on Sunday, June 26.

East Midlands Railway

EMR will not run trains through Peterborough on strike days. The Norwich to Liverpool Lime Street train, via Ely, will be suspended.

One train per hour will run on the following routes only:

  • London St Pancras International - Corby
  • London St Pancras International - Nottingham
  • London St Pancras International - Sheffield
  • Derby - Matlock
  • Derby - Nottingham
  • Leicester - Nottingham
  • Sheffield - Nottingham

Greater Anglia

Greater Anglia journeys could be impacted by two sets of strike action - the RMT strike and an additional driver strike by ASLEF union members on Thursday, June 23.

On the three strike days, there will be no service before 7.30am, and no trains after 6.30pm.

There will be no service between Ipswich and Cambridge, Ely or Peterborough on strike days. The lines through Newmarket, March and Whittlesey will be closed.

There will be no direct service between Cambridge and Stansted Airport.

There will be one train per hour between Cambridge and London Liverpool Street. Two Stansted Express trains will run between London Liverpool Street and Stansted Airport each hour, except Thursday, when only one train per hour will run.

LNER

An LNER spokesperson said: "We will be running around 38 percent of our usual trains and they are likely to be very busy.

"If you can avoid travelling over this period, we recommend doing so."

  • The last train from London King's Cross to Edinburgh is at 2pm
  • The last train from London King's Cross to Leeds is at 3.05pm (3.06pm on Saturday)
  • The last train from Edinburgh to London is at 12.30pm
  • The last train from Leeds to London is at 3.45pm

Thameslink and Great Northern

Staff at Govia Thameslink Railway, which runs Thameslink and Great Northern, are not striking. A reduced timetable will be in place due to industrial action elsewhere - including at Network Rail.

There will be no service between Ely and King's Lynn.

The line through the Thameslink "core" - through Farringdon - will be closed. Thameslink will not run a direct train between Cambridgeshire and Gatwick Airport, with Gatwick trains set to run from London Bridge instead.

A reduced timetable in Cambridgeshire features:

  • One "slow" train per hour between Ely and London King's Cross
  • One "fast" train per hour between Ely and London King's Cross, which will not stop between London and Cambridge
  • One "semi-fast" train per hour between Cambridge and London King's Cross - calling at Finsbury Park, Stevenage, Hitchin, Letchworth Garden City, Ashwell and Morden, and Royston only
  • Two "semi-fast" trains per hour between Peterborough and London King's Cross - via St Neots and Huntingdon