The vast majority of rail lines in Wales will be out of service on Tuesday 21 June, Thursday 23 June and Saturday 25 June due to strikes by RMT union members working for the Network. According to official forecasts, only a third of UK general freight trains will be able to operate following a dispute between unions and Network Rail.

“Freightliner has been working with customers and Network Rail to develop contingency plans to keep as many freight operations as possible on strike day and any days before or after the action. However, during strike week, less than a third may be of freight trains are able to operate, which has a devastating impact on the UK's already strained supply chain."

Freightliner chief executive Eddie Aston said it would hit the UK supply chain hard. "We urge all parties to work together to find a quick solution to avoid any disruptive strike action," he said. "If no agreement is reached, the model of strike action proposed by RMT could cause significant disruption to the entire freight service." Zhou, and Serious disruption to the UK supply chain. Any protracted dispute threatens to damage confidence as the industry braces for growth. "

A spokeswoman for another freight company, Direct Rail, echoed the sentiment, saying: "We know the planned industrial action will affect the entire rail network. We are working closely with our customers and partners to ensure we can maximize effectively reduce its impact and provide a safe, secure and reliable service.”

But what impact will this drop in freight capacity have on the public. According to Sara Jones, head of the Retail Federation of Wales, with so much produce that can be trucked to supermarkets, it shouldn't have much of an impact on getting produce into stores.

She said: “While the use of freight trains to transport retail goods has increased as HGV operating costs have risen and efforts to reduce carbon emissions have increased, the total volume of retail food and merchandise transported by rail is Still relatively low. Trucking. So rail strikes are unlikely to have a significant impact on the movement of food and other retail goods across the country."

Jake Kelly, Network Rail's director of network operations, said in an interview: "We are working nonstop to keep vital freight flows across the country - including supermarket supplies and fuel - flowing during the strike action."

Hayward, W., 2022. Rail strikes cut freight capacity to a third of its usual level. [online] WalesOnline. Available at: <https://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/rail-strikes -cut-freight-capacity-24275437> [Accessed 23 June 2022].