Rail companies have announced they will take industrial action from 6pm on Christmas Eve until 6am on December 27.

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When the strike was announced, the RMT said it will “only affect engineering work and not train services”.

But several operators have issued alerts to passengers warning of disruption.

Services around Christmas will also be busier because of an overtime ban, meaning services on days like Christmas Eve will stop much earlier.

National advice for all operators is for passengers not to travel by train on strike days unless absolutely necessary.

But if you want the best chance of avoiding disruption on Christmas Eve, passengers are being told to complete journeys as early as lunchtime.

Operators are warning passengers that the rail network will shut down early due to a walkout by thousands of members of the Rail, Maritime and Transport union (RMT) at Network Rail.

Avanti West Coast’s last trains will be as early as 10.40am from Glasgow to London Euston and 12.34pm from London Euston to Liverpool.

And Great Western Railway is urging customers to only travel on Christmas Eve if it is “absolutely necessary”.

Those planning to travel are being told to book a seat for a specific service and “complete their journeys by lunchtime”.

South Western Railway said its services will “shut down at 3pm”, with last trains departing as early as noon.

The RAC are expecting disruption to rail services to lead to an even bigger spike in traffic on Britain’s roads on Christmas Eve as millions of people make getaway journeys.

It comes after strikes have caused chaos for commuters across the nation this week.

About half of lines were closed on yesterday’s first day of a 48-hour strike.

Walkouts will continue tomorrow and on Saturday, with two more 48-hour strikes in January.

And The Sun reported that support for Mr Lynch was crumbling as it was revealed that his members would lose an average of £5,000 for striking, while he takes home £84,000 a year.