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Rail passengers across the country are set to face more misery as the RMT union announced a series of new strikes in a long-running dispute over pay.

The union said its members working for several train operators will walk out for 24 hours on February 27 and March 1, 8, 15 and 22.

The strikes will affect services run by Northern Rail, South Western Railway, Merseyrail, Greater Anglia and Southern.

The RMT said the action was in response to the "failure" of the rail companies to offer a "fair and consistent" pay deal for all staff.

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The union accused the rail bosses of "playing fast and loose" with the pay and conditions of their workers, and of trying to "divide and rule" the workforce.

RMT general secretary Mick Cash said: "Our members are sick and tired of being treated as second-class citizens by the rail industry. They deserve a decent pay rise that reflects their hard work and dedication to keeping the trains running and the passengers safe."

He added: "The rail companies have shown utter contempt for the union and the passengers by refusing to engage in meaningful talks and by trying to impose a pay freeze or a below-inflation increase. This is an insult to our members who have kept the rail network running throughout the pandemic, often at great personal risk."

He urged the rail companies to "get back around the table" and negotiate a "fair and consistent" pay settlement that would avert the strikes.

The rail operators said they were "disappointed" by the union's decision and that the strikes were "unnecessary and unjustified".

They said they had offered a "generous and realistic" pay deal that took into account the "unprecedented" financial challenges facing the rail industry due to the Covid-19 crisis.

They said the strikes would cause "significant disruption and inconvenience" to the passengers who rely on their services, especially those who need to travel for essential reasons.

They said they would do everything possible to minimise the impact of the strikes and to keep as many trains running as possible.

They also called on the RMT to "call off this damaging action" and to resume talks to find a "constructive solution" to the pay dispute.