FEARS are growing that a crippling rail strike this summer will leave supermarket shelves empty and petrol pumps dry.
Firebrand unions have vowed to inflict a “summer of discontent” unless they get a massive 10 per cent pay rise.
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Worried railway bosses are drawing up doomsday plans to scrap passenger services so essential goods like food can be prioritised.
A ballot of more than 40,000 members of the RMT union closes on Tuesday.
If they go ahead with the strike it would be the “biggest in modern history” in Britain.
A senior rail source told The Times: “We want to keep people and goods moving but there is no doubt we face serious challenges.
“There is an awful lot of work going on behind the scenes including around what the timetable might look like.
“One option is times of the day when only freight services operate.”
Boris Johnson will meet with Transport Secretary Grant Shapps next week to discuss the crisis.
A Whitehall source said supermarket bosses could be contacted to discuss their emergency plans amid fears of a catastrophic impact on their supply chains.
