With the first of the two RMT Union strikes coming to a close, the ASLEF Union will be taking its workers on strike, impacting 18 of the train operators in the UK.
Expect a lot of stations to be closed today as train operators suspend services.
Which train companies are impacted?
For the ASLEF Strike, the following companies are affected:
- Avanti West Coast – No services are planned to operate on the 5th
- Chiltern Railways – No services are planned to operate on either the 5th and 6th
- CrossCountry – No services are planned to operate on the 5th
- East Midlands Railway – No services are planned to operate on the 5th
- Gatwick Express – No services are planned to operate on the 5th
- Great Northern – No services are planned to operate on the 5th
- Great Western Railway – A very limited service will run only on the following routes: London Paddington and Bristol Temple Meads, Reading and Basingstoke, Reading and Oxford
- Greater Anglia / Stansted Express – A Reduced service of one train per hour between Norwich and London Liverpool Street, Colchester and London Liverpool Street, and Southend Victoria and London Liverpool Street and on the Stansted Express from 07.30 onwards.
- Heathrow Express – No services are planned to operate on the 5th
- LNER – A very limited service will operate both north and southbound, with five services to Edinburgh and limited services to Doncaster, Leeds and York
- London Northwestern Railway – No services are planned to operate on the 5th
- Northern – No services are planned to operate on the 5th
- Southeastern – No services are planned to operate on the 5th
- Southern – No services are planned to operate on the 5th
- South Western Railway / Island Line – A limited service will operate between London Waterloo and Windsor & Eton Riverside, Basingstoke, Woking and Southampton Central
- Thameslink – No services planned to operate on the 5th
- TransPennine Express – No services planned to operate on the 5th
- West Midlands Railway – No services planned to operate on the 5th
Other rail operators will be starting services late as a knock-on from the RMT Strike from the days before.
Note: Technically, its 15 operators are hit today by today’s action, however, some operators operate sub-brands – hence 18 operators in this count.
Airport Impact
If you are planning to travel by train to an airport – you should have made new travel plans by now.
- Heathrow Airport will be served by the Piccadilly Line and Elizabeth Line. There will be NO Heathrow Express.
- London City Airport will still be accessible via the Docklands Light Railway.
That’s the only good news. Everywhere else – expect trouble and make new plans. These include:
- Stansted Airport will only have a limited hourly service. Use Coaches to get to Central London and beyond
- Gatwick Airport – Use Coaches to get to Central London and beyond
- Luton Airport – Use Coaches to get to Central London and beyond
- Manchester Airport – Use Metrolink to access Manchester and regional destinations
- Birmingham Airport – Use Bus X1 to connect to Coventry or Birmingham
- East Midlands Airport – Use local buses. Onward train connections will not be available
This covers just some of the airports – it is imperative to check before you travel.
More strikes on Friday and Saturday
For those of you thinking who are hoping for a let-up in strike action, the RMT Union will be taking its workers out on strike again on Friday and Saturday.
Beyond that, no further strikes have been announced as yet.
However, unless there is movement on any side (be it the unions, employers or the government), there could well be further strikes in the future.
Keeping an eye on the timetables and such will be key.
Where can I get more information?
National Rail Enquiries has information pages at https://www.nationalrail.co.uk/service_disruptions/311341.aspx and https://www.nationalrail.co.uk/service_disruptions/311341.aspx.
Also, check the individual train operators for their plans today.
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