Rail Union RMT have, over the weekend, rejected the Rail Delivery Group's (RDG) offer and demanded a meeting today, Monday the 5th of December 2022, to resolve the ongoing dispute over pay and working conditions.

Transport Secretary Mark Harper said: "The RMT has been offered an improved new deal by the train operating companies and has rejected it outright. The situation is incredibly disappointing, and unfair to the public, passengers and the rail workforce who want a deal.

"Our railways need to modernise. There's no place for outdated working practices that rely on voluntary overtime to run a reliable 7-day service. Passengers should also receive the service they've paid for. This deal will help get trains running on time.

"The Government continues to play its part in trying to facilitate a resolution to this dispute, while rightly letting the employers do the negotiating. Now it's for the unions to play their part too by putting the offer from the train operating companies to their members and call off industrial action that would damage the rail industry, rail workers and the wider economy."

Further strikes are scheduled for the 13th to the 17th of December, and the 23rd and 24th of December 2022, although details of these have not yet been released. 

If trains are running on these days, they will only be available from 7:30am until 18:30pm. With ready limited services to the station though, commuters should expect there to be no EMR train services on these days. 

Find out more about the strike action in and around Rutland here.

Travellers are warned to check ahead if they are attending Christmas events and travelling over the festive period.