Over 40,000 rail workers are to walk out for 24-hours.
Passengers are once again being told to plan ahead and only travel "if necessary" as rail workers strike nationwide today, The Manc reports.
Network Rail is warning all those intending on travelling by train that services will be "severely disrupted" on Wednesday as a result of another national strike called by the leadership of the RMT Union, and while it has confirmed that thousands of specially-trained back-up staff will step in during the one-day walkout, only a fifth of services will be running on around half of the network.
Passengers are asked to only travel by train "if they must", allow extra time for journeys, and check when their last train will depart, Network Rail advises.
After talks failed to resolve a dispute over pay, jobs, and conditions, members of the RMT Union and Transport Salaried Staffs' Association (TSSA) at Network Rail and 14 other regional rail operators are to take industrial action - with Northern, TransPennine Express, and Avanti West Coast all confirmed to take part.
Network Rail said all operators may be affected, whether they are part of the dispute or not.
People are also being told that they should expect disruption on the morning of Thursday 28 July too, with a later start to services as employees return to duties.
"The train operating companies remain stubborn and are refusing to make any new offer which deals with job security and pay," said Mick Lynch - General Secretary at RMT Union.
"Strike action is the only course open to us to make both the rail industry and government understand that this dispute will continue for as long as it takes, until we get a negotiated settlement.
"The public who will be inconvenienced by our strike action need to understand that it is the government's shackling of Network Rail and the TOCs that means the rail network will be shut down for 24 hours."
Andrew Haines - Chief Executive at Network Rail - said: "Despite our best efforts to find a breakthrough, I’m afraid there will be more disruption for passengers as the RMT seems hell-bent on continuing their political campaigning, rather than compromising and agreeing a deal for their members."
"It is frustrating to yet again ask our passengers to change their plans and only make essential journeys," he added.
Over 40,000 rail workers are to walk out for 24-hours nationwide on Wednesday / Credit: Network Rail
A spokesperson for the Department for Transport (DfT) also said in response: "The rail industry has to modernise and be brought into the 21st century for the benefit of passengers and staff [and] we're extremely disappointed to see that instead of staying at the table, RMT executives have chosen to walk away once more.
"We continue to encourage RMT to do the right thing by their members and passengers alike and call off the strikes."
Leeds Christmas Markets is returning to the city centre in just two months' time and some major plans and changes have been announced.
Although Pop Princess Zara Larsson might want us to believe "Summer isn't over yet", it's safe to say that the recent downpours we've had across West Yorkshire disagree.
Leeds Christmas Markets are also ringing in the new season with a jam-packed video posted to social media announcing all the current plans and changes for its 2026 schedule.
This year, outdoor events company Thor’s Tipi are stepping up as the all-new operators of this Christmastime spectacular and are organising a celebration where 'even if you’re not from Yorkshire, you’re going to leave being from Yorkshire'.
Leeds Christmas Markets are returning to Leeds City Square from Thursday 19 November with plenty of Yorkshire-centric stalls / Credit: The Hoot Leeds
Although Leeds locals already know that Yorkshire is 'God's Own Country', the Leeds Christmas Markets team are making sure that the county is represented through its food, drinks and wider stalls.
In a video uploaded to its social accounts, foodie expert and Little Bao Boy Founder James 'Jimmy Chews' Ooi was given the honour of revealing all these exciting plans.
Informing everyone that "You best come hungry", Ooi noted that some of the phenomenal vendors taking part include La Grassa and The Savvy Baker.
Real Markets Yorkshire and Stump Cross Caverns are also getting into the Christmas spirit and setting up their own stalls at Leeds City Square this November.
La Grassa is just one of many familiar foodie faces returning to Leeds Christmas Markets / Credit: The Hoot Leeds
Rated restaurants and bars are contributing to the festive frenzy too, like Cabaret Thursdays at Italian restaurant Bibi's and beer garden destination Green Room are hosting singalongs at Leeds Christmas Markets.
There will be plenty of activities for families happening all around the unofficial capital of West Yorkshire like elf-themed scavenger hunts, various elves on various shelves and lots of live music.
If it wasn't apparent already, in the words of Jimmy Chews himself, there's about to be "So much Christmas that Mariah Carey is going to look like the Grinch".
Leeds Christmas Markets are returning to Leeds City Square from Thursday 19 November and there will be plenty of exciting announcements to the upcoming celebrations ahead of the big day.
Aldi has announced a ‘special’ 62-hour closure of all its 1,000+ stores across UK
Emily Sergeant
Aldi has confirmed it'll be closing the doors of all of its stores across the UK for 62 hours this year.
Christmas is always known to be one of the busiest periods of the year for the retail industry, and Boxing Day has a reputation for being the ultimate day for shopping deals and discounts in the UK - but this year, just like it has done on several years in the past, Aldi has made the decision to close all of its stores nationwide on this bank holiday.
The supermarket retailer says it wants to thank its colleagues 'for all their hard work' throughout the year by giving them some extra time to spend with their families.
This means that all Aldi stores will be closed on both 25 and 26 December.
That's not all though, as stores will also be closed on New Year’s Day, and will reopen once again on Saturday 2 January 2027.
Aldi has announced a 'special' 62-hour closure of all its UK stores / Credit: Aldi UK
Opening hours at different Aldi stores across the UK will vary in the lead-up to Christmas, so it's important to check the times for your local store, but the retailer has confirmed that most branches will be operating extended hours to 'ensure customers can stock up ahead of the big day'
In the interim period between Christmas and New Year, stores will reopen as usual on Sunday 27 through to Wednesday 30 December, with reduced hours also likely on Sunday and New Year's Eve.
Speaking on the decision to shut up shop for a full 62-hour period this festive season, Rachel Geary, who is the Communications Director at Aldi UK, said: "Christmas is a special time for our customers, but it is also one of the busiest periods of the year for our teams.
"Our colleagues work incredibly hard to ensure customers can pick up everything they need ahead of the big day.
"We never take that effort for granted. Closing our stores on Boxing Day is one way of saying thank you and giving colleagues a proper chance to rest, switch off and spend more time with the people closest to them."
The Hoot -
27th July 2022 
