It’s not just rail travel that could be impacted by strike action over the Christmas period: Border Force staff at Heathrow, Gatwick, Manchester, Birmingham, Cardiff and Glasgow are set to strike for eight days, between 23 December and 26 December, and then from 28 December to 31 December.

Workers at the port of Newhaven will also be walking out, which could affect ferry travellers.

The planned action will affect passport control desks, with more than 1,000 employees thought to be taking part, and the government has warned that travellers might face “serious disruption”. British Airways and Virgin Atlantic have reportedly already stopped selling new tickets for inbound Heathrow flights on the strike days.

A recent report in The Times suggested that plans are being drawn up to hold passengers on arriving flights to stop overcrowding in the arrival hall, with a source telling the paper that “delays of two hours at the border” were being discussed in meetings.

Members of the Public and Commercial Services union voted for strike action after they said the government had refused to increase an offer of a 2% pay rise.

December strikes: everything you need to know about this week’s walkouts