With most of the national rail network out of action next week, a special timetable is showing where the trains are expected to be able to run. However, with very few services on the lines that are open, the train companies are sticking to their message of not travelling unless it cannot be avoided.
The official strike days are Tues 21st, Thur 23rd and Sat 25th June — but with trains and staff in the wrong locations after the strike ends, the effect will be substantial on the intermediate days as well — so in effect, it’s a whole week of disruption for rail travellers.
All train operators are affected by the strike (whether they have an individual dispute with the RMT or not) as Network Rail’s signallers control train movements across the entire country. As a result, Network Rail expects that only around half of Britain’s rail network will be open on strike days with a very limited service running on lines that will only be open from around 7.30am until 6.30pm.
Most train companies expect to be able to run a modified service akin to a Sunday service between about 7am to 7pm on the gap days between the strikes.
Also, for Londoners, as parts of the TfL network are owned/managed by Network Rail, there are expected to be problems on some tube lines all week as well. There’s also an unrelated strike on the London Underground by both Unite and the RMT on the Tuesday (21st June), which will see a large number of stations closed especially in the centre of London, although based on the previous RMT strike, about half the stations had opened by 9am and were open until about 6pm.
Expected rail services for the southeast region during the national rail strike:
TfL operated services
Elizabeth line
The central core tunnel service between Abbey Wood and Paddington is not expected to be affected by the National Rail strike. However, the sections between Paddington and Reading/Heathrow and Liverpool Street to Shenfield will be affected by the National Rail strike.
London Underground
Disruption is expected on the Richmond and Wimbledon branches of the District line, and on the Waterloo and City line. There will also be disruption on the Bakerloo line between Queens Park to Harrow and Wealdstone.
London Overground
London Overground services will run 7:30am to 6:30pm, and only about half of trains are expected to run.
Airport train services
Gatwick Airport
Two trains per hour will run between London Bridge and Gatwick Airport, calling at London Bridge, Norwood Junction, East Croydon, Purley, Redhill, Earlswood, Salfords, Horley and Gatwick Airport only.
Heathrow Airport
Limited service on the Heathrow Express and Elizabeth line expected. The London Underground will be operating, but a tube strike on the Tuesday could also affect services on the tube.
Stansted Airport
Stansted Airport to London Liverpool Street – two trains an hour (reducing to one train an hour on Thursday 23rd June), with first and last trains from Stansted Airport to London Liverpool Street at 07.42 and 17.12 and from London Liverpool Street to Stansted Airport at 08.10 and 17.40
Luton Airport
Four trains per hour between Luton Airport Parkway and St Pancras International, calling at Harpenden, St Albans City, (2 per hour also stopping at Radlett, Elstree & Borehamwood, Mill Hill Broadway, Hendon, Cricklewood), and West Hampstead Thameslink.
Avanti West Coast
These trains will operate during limited hours, with the first train of the day departing Euston just before 8am and the last train of the day from Euston departing mid-afternoon.
c2c
They will be operating a reduced service from 7:30am – 6:30pm, equating to less than a third of normal service levels, and consisting of:
- 2 trains per hour from Fenchurch Street to Shoeburyness via Laindon
- 2 trains per hour from Fenchurch Street to Pitsea via Rainham
- No trains will run via Ockendon or Chafford Hundred
Chiltern Railways
No trains between Banbury to Birmingham, or between London to Oxford, or between London to Aylesbury via Amersham.
The services that do run will start from around 7:30am, with morning trains not arriving in London until after 09:00. In the afternoon, the last trains will be much earlier than normal, with the last trains from Marylebone in the middle of the afternoon.
- Between London – Banbury: One train per hour in each direction
- Between London – Aylesbury via High Wycombe: One train per hour in each direction
- Between Aylesbury – Amersham: One train per hour in each direction (except Tuesday 21st June when there will be no service on this route)
East Midlands Railway (EMR)
- One train per hour between Nottingham and London
- One train per hour between Sheffield and London
- One train per hour between Corby and London
In addition, there will be no direct trains between Luton and London St Pancras on Sat 25th and Sun 26th June due to pre-planned engineering work.
Greater Anglia
Will not be running any services on its regional and branch lines, while a very limited service will operate on some routes to and from London Liverpool Street for part of the day. Services running will only operate from 7.30am, with the last trains finishing their journeys by 6.30pm.
There will be no services running on the following routes:
- Between Norwich and Cambridge/Stansted Airport, Sheringham, Lowestoft and Great Yarmouth
- Between Ipswich and Cambridge, Peterborough, Felixstowe and Lowestoft
- Between Marks Tey and Sudbury
- All other branch lines: Hertford East to Broxbourne, Braintree to Witham, Southminster to Wickford, Harwich Town to Manningtree, Clacton/Walton-on-the-Naze to Colchester, Colchester Town to Colchester, Meridian Water to Stratford.
Great Northern
No services except the following, and trains that do run may not call at all stations along the route.
King’s Cross and Ely
One train per hour will run between King’s Cross and Ely.
Cambridge and Ely
In addition to the above, one train per hour will run between Cambridge and Ely.
King’s Cross and Cambridge
One train per hour will run between King’s Cross and Cambridge.
King’s Cross and Peterborough
Two trains per hour will run between King’s Cross and Peterborough.
King’s Cross and Welwyn Garden City
Two trains per hour will run between King’s Cross and Welwyn Garden City.
King’s Cross and Stevenage via Hertford North
Two trains per hour will run between King’s Cross and Stevenage.
Great Western Railway (GWR)
On strike days, an extremely limited service will operate between 7:30am and 6:30pm. On non-strike days, no services will run before 7:00am.
GWR expects to be able to run a limited service out of Paddington to Slough, Windsor and Reading – but not calling at intermediate stations.
London Northwestern Railway
They will be running a very limited service on these dates between 7.30am and 6.30pm only.
2 trains per hour – London Euston to Northampton (via Watford and Milton Keynes).
No service – London Euston to Crewe (via Lichfield Trent Valley)
No service – Abbey Line
Southeastern
No trains on Southeastern routes except for a limited service on the Dartford and Orpington lines and Highspeed route between London St Pancras and Ashford. Fewer than 40 stations on Southeastern’s network will be open, with only the London-Orpington and Dartford lines remaining open within London, running a very limited service.
There will be no trains serving most of Kent, including the Medway Towns, Tonbridge, Maidstone, Thanet, Canterbury, Folkestone and Dover, with Highspeed trains only running between London St Pancras and Ashford.
There will be no trains at all on the Hastings line nor the branch lines including Sittingbourne to Sheppey and the Medway Valley Line.
Southern
Southern drivers are not striking – but will be affected by the National Rail staff strike. There will be a skeleton service of around 25% of normal on strike days, and about 60% of services on the gap days.
Trains that do run may not call at all stations along the route.
London Victoria / London Bridge to Brighton
Four trains per hour will run between London to Brighton – two to Victoria and two to London Bridge.
London Bridge and Three Bridges
Two trains per hour will run between London Bridge and Three Bridges.
Brighton and Hove
Two trains per hour will run between Brighton and Hove only.
London Victoria and Sutton
Two trains per hour will run between London Victoria and Epsom.
London Victoria and Epsom Downs via Selhurst
Two trains per hour will run between London Victoria and Epsom Downs.
London Victoria and West Croydon via Crystal Palace
Two trains per hour will run between London Victoria and West Croydon.
London Bridge and Tattenham Corner
Two trains per hour will run between London Bridge and Tattenham Corner.
South Western Railway
SWR’s reduced timetable will run from 7:15am to 6:30pm on the three strike days, and will consist of:
- Four trains per hour in each direction between Waterloo and Windsor via Hounslow
- Two semi-fast trains per hour in each direction between Waterloo and Basingstoke
- Four trains per hour in each direction between Waterloo and Woking
- Two fast trains per hour in each direction between Waterloo and Southampton
Trains will not stop at all stations on these routes.
Thameslink
No services south of St Pancras station. Trains that do run north of London will not call at all stations along the route.
St Pancras International and Bedford
Two trains per hour will run between St Pancras International and Bedford.
St Pancras International and Luton
Two trains per hour will run between St Pancras International and Luton.
Thanks for the summary. Its the best so far really good and concise.
Great information, but rather centred on south england, some of us live on Northern, LNER, TPE and Lumo.
Not surprising that a London based website writing for Londoners would focus on the London impacts of the strike.
Why is Waterloo and city affected? Is it still signalled by NR as a hangover from BR days?
Such a good round up, except the Victoria to Epsom trains will only run as far as Sutton