There will be widespread disruption on England’s railways this coming Saturday and Wednesday due to a rail strike by the drivers union, ASLEF.
Most of the 15 train companies affected are not going to have any services at all for the entire day of each strike, and the handful of train operators that can run trains will be very limited in what they can offer.
There’s also an overtime ban on, so even on the days next week when there isn’t a strike, there’s still likely to be short notice cancellations and delays due to a shortage of available train drivers.
It is likely that evening services on some lines will be affected on the days before each strike. Morning services on those lines may also be disrupted on 1st and 5th October because much of the rolling stock will not be in the right depots.
And on top of that – for Londoners, next Wednesday (4th Oct) there’s also a strike by London Underground station staff which will close many tube stations, particularly in central London.
For the national rail companies, their strike plans are below:
Avanti West Coast
Saturday 30th Sept:
No service across the entire network.
Wednesday 4th Oct
No service across the entire network.
c2c
Saturday 30th Sept:
No service across the entire network.
Wednesday 4th Oct
No service across the entire network.
Chiltern Railways
Saturday 30th Sept:
No service across the entire network.
Wednesday 4th Oct
No service across the entire network.
CrossCountry
Saturday 30th Sept:
No service across the entire network.
Wednesday 4th Oct
To be confirmed
East Midlands Railway
Saturday 30th Sept:
No service across the entire network.
Wednesday 4th Oct
No service across the entire network.
Gatwick Express
Saturday 30th Sept:
No Gatwick Express service – but there will be a limited Southern service, calling at Gatwick Airport and London Victoria only.
Wednesday 4th Oct
No Gatwick Express service – but there will be a limited Southern service, calling at Gatwick Airport and London Victoria only.
Great Northern
Saturday 30th Sept:
No service across the entire network.
Wednesday 4th Oct
No service across the entire network.
GWR
Saturday 30th Sept:
A very limited service from 7am to 6:30pm between main cities only.
Wednesday 4th Oct
A very limited service from 7am to 6:30pm between main cities only.
Greater Anglia (including Stansted Express)
Saturday 30th Sept:
A limited service will run between Norwich and London, Colchester and London, Southend Victoria and London and Stansted Airport and London. No services on other lines.
Wednesday 4th Oct
A limited service will run between Norwich and London, Colchester and London, Southend Victoria and London and Stansted Airport and London. No services on other lines.
Heathrow Express
Saturday 30th Sept:
A limited service will run every half hour from around 8am to 8:30pm
Wednesday 4th Oct
A limited service will run every half hour from around 8am to 8:30pm
LNER
Saturday 30th Sept:
A reduced service with a late start and early finish.
Wednesday 4th Oct
A reduced service with a late start and early finish.
London Northwestern Railway
Saturday 30th Sept:
No service across the entire network.
Wednesday 4th Oct
No service across the entire network.
Northern
Saturday 30th Sept:
No service across the entire network.
Wednesday 4th Oct
No service across the entire network.
South Western Railway (SWR)
Saturday 30th Sept:
An extremely limited service between Waterloo and Woking/Guildford/Basingstoke only.
Wednesday 4th Oct
An extremely limited service between Waterloo and Woking/Guildford/Feltham/Basingstoke, and between Basingstoke-Salisbury
Southeastern
Saturday 30th Sept:
No service across the entire network.
Wednesday 4th Oct
No service across the entire network.
Southern
Saturday 30th Sept:
A limited Southern service will run, calling at Gatwick Airport and London
Victoria only.
No other services will run.
Wednesday 4th Oct
A limited Southern service will run, calling at Gatwick Airport and London
Victoria only.
No other services will run.
Thameslink
Saturday 30th Sept:
No service across the entire network.
Wednesday 4th Oct
No service across the entire network.
TransPennine Express
Saturday 30th Sept:
No service across the entire network.
Wednesday 4th Oct
No service across the entire network.
West Midlands Railway
Saturday 30th Sept:
No service across the entire network.
Wednesday 4th Oct
No service across the entire network.
Ticketing and refund information
Passengers with Advance, Anytime or Off-Peak tickets for travel on 30 September can instead use their ticket on 29 September or up to and including Tuesday 3 October. Tickets for Wednesday 4 October can be used on 3 October or up to and including Friday 6 October. Passengers can also have their ticket refunded with no fee if the train that the ticket is booked for is cancelled, delayed or rescheduled.
If the Advance ticket is for a train that is scheduled for a strike day, and that service is not cancelled, delayed or rescheduled, but a customer prefers not to travel, they should contact their ticket retailer.
Customers with 2 x Advance tickets (an outbound and a return), to be used as a return journey, may be able to get a fee-free refund or change of journey for any unused legs/tickets, if one (either) of the legs is scheduled for a strike day. Customers should check with their ticket retailer.
Passengers with season tickets (flexi, monthly or longer), who do not travel, can claim 100% compensation for the strike dates through Delay Repay.
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