Rail strikes chaos as 20,000 workers walk out to affect FA Cup final
Rail strikes spark weekend chaos as 20,000 workers walk out across the network today with more action set to affect Epsom Derby and FA Cup final
- 20,000 RMT workers will strike with countless services cancelled or affected
Strikes by 20,000 railway workers will continue today and into the weekend, causing fresh travel disruption for passengers – with thousands set to travel to Wembley for the FA cup final between Manchester United and Manchester City.
Members of the Rail, Maritime and Transport union (RMT) employed by train operators across England will walk out in a long-running dispute over jobs, pay and conditions which is also set to affect the Epsom Derby.
Train companies are warning that services will be affected by the action, which comes almost a year after the RMT held its first strike in the same dispute.
General secretary Mick Lynch paid tribute to RMT members, saying they were determined to continue defending their conditions as well as demand a decent pay rise.
Mr Lynch continued to accuse government ministers of preventing train companies from making an acceptable offer.
South Western Railway passenger trains are laid up at a depot in south west London on the morning of another day of strike action across rail networks
Travellers wait outside a shuttered London Bridge station which is closed this morning during strike action by the RMT union
Traffic queues on the A102M Blackwall tunnel approach in Greenwich,South East London during strike action by the RMT union
Open and unmanned ticket barriers at Paddington train station in London
Strike action over the last year has been a success despite the lack of a pay deal, RMT boss Mick Lynch has said.
Speaking from the picket line at Euston station, he said that the action had pushed back plans that would have negatively impacted RMT members.
‘We’ve pushed them back on all the stuff they wanted to do, they wanted to make thousands of our people redundant, they wanted to shut every booking office in Britain, restructure our engineering workers, cut the catering service,’ he said.
‘So we’ve pushed them back on that, they haven’t been able to implement any of their plans. ‘What we haven’t got is a pay deal, we haven’t got any guarantees on our members’ futures but we have stopped them doing the worst aspects of their proposals and their ideas.
‘It has been a success, our members are still with us, they’ve had three ballots to continue with the strike action under the law. Other people seem to have been inspired to fight back and take action in their own industries, so it has been a success and it’s put trade unions back on the map in Britain.’
Members of the drivers’ union Aslef walked out on Wednesday and will strike again on Saturday in their dispute over pay.
Mick Whelan, general secretary of Aslef, told the PA news agency there was ‘no waning in enthusiasm’ from train drivers to continue taking industrial action.
‘We are determined to get a resolution and remain in this for the long haul.
‘It is time for the Government to step back from interference which is preventing a deal – drivers, in line with other workers, deserve a pay rise after four years without one and inflation running, over the last 12 months, north of 10%,’ he said.
The Rail Delivery Group (RDG) said it is expected around half of the network will shut down on Friday with around 50% of normal services running.
On Aslef’s strike on Saturday, around 40% of trains will be running but there will be wide regional variations with some operators running no services at all.
The industrial action will affect football fans travelling to London for the FA Cup final between Manchester City and Manchester United on Saturday at Wembley Stadium.
Fans wishing to travel to the game by train from Manchester were advised not to attempt to do so on the day.
Industrial action on Saturday will also affect more than 100,000 people travelling to the annual Epsom Derby as well as fans travelling to Beyonce’s Renaissance world tour concert at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, and cricket fans travelling to watch the England v Ireland Test match at Lord’s.
A Rail Delivery Group spokesperson said: ‘The upcoming rail strikes called by the Aslef and RMT leadership will not only affect our passengers’ daily commute, but will also impact those travelling from to the FA Cup final and other events across the country, causing disappointment and frustration for tens of thousands of people.
‘It will also inconvenience families who have been looking forward and have planned their half-term holidays. It will also further burden our people who have already lost thousands of pounds at a time of financial strain.
‘We understand the impact of these strikes on individuals and businesses alike, and we can only apologise for this unnecessary and damaging disruption. While we are doing all we can to keep trains running, unfortunately there will be reduced train services so our advice is to check before you travel.
‘Passengers with Advance tickets can be refunded fee-free if the train that the ticket is booked for is cancelled, delayed or rescheduled.’
Empty platforms at Paddington train station in London today
A quiet Waterloo Station this morning during strike action by the RMT union
General secretary Mick Lynch paid tribute to RMT members, saying they were determined to continue defending their conditions
The unions say they have not been given a pay offer they can recommend to their members.
Officials say support for industrial action remains strong among workers as well as the public.
Aslef says train drivers have not had a pay rise for four years.
Both unions claim the Government is preventing the train companies from making an acceptable offer, which ministers deny.
A Department for Transport spokesperson said: ‘These strikes have been co-ordinated by union leaders to disrupt passengers in a week which will see major events such as the first-ever all-Manchester FA Cup final, the Epsom Derby and a number of concerts and festivals across the UK.
‘Not content with impacting the hundreds of thousands of people who have looked forward to these events all year round, unions are also targeting their own members’ pockets by forcing them to miss out on pay every time they strike.
‘The Government has facilitated a fair and reasonable pay offer, now union leaders must do the right thing and put this to their members.’
HOW WILL RAIL STRIKES AFFECT EACH TRAIN OPERATOR ON FRIDAY AND SATURDAY?
Train services are being hit by more strike action this week.
Workers who are members of the Rail, Maritime and Transport union (RMT) will strike on Friday, while train drivers who are members of Aslef will walk out on Saturday.
Here is a breakdown of each operator’s plan for strike days:
Avanti West Coast
Friday: One train per hour will run in each direction between London Euston and each of Manchester, Liverpool, Birmingham and Preston, with a limited service to and from Glasgow.
There will be no services to or from North Wales, Shrewsbury, Blackpool, Stoke-on-Trent or Edinburgh, while Macclesfield station will be closed.
The first train of the day from Euston will depart at about 8am, and the last will leave shortly after 5pm.
Saturday: No trains.
c2c
Friday: No major impact but 12-carriage trains will not stop at Limehouse, east London.
Saturday: Usual timetable.
Caledonian Sleeper
Friday: All services will be operating via the East Coast Main Line due to engineering works.
Services will not be calling at Motherwell, Carlisle, Preston, Crewe or Watford.
Saturday: The Caledonian Sleeper does not operate on Saturday nights.
Chiltern Railways
Friday: Services will be limited to one train per hour from about 8am until 10pm in both directions between London Marylebone and each of Banbury, Oxford and Aylesbury via High Wycombe; and between Amersham and Aylesbury Vale Parkway.
No trains will run between Banbury and each of Birmingham and Stourbridge Junction, or between Hatton and Stratford-upon-Avon.
Saturday: No trains.
CrossCountry
Friday: A limited service will operate. No trains will run between Birmingham New Street and Cardiff Central or Nottingham.
Saturday: No trains.
East Midlands Railway
Friday: Services will run between 7.30am and 6.30pm.
They will be limited to just one train per hour in each direction between London St Pancras and each of Nottingham, Derby and Corby, as well as a handful of regional routes such as between Leicester and Lincoln.
Saturday: No trains.
Elizabeth line
Friday: The Elizabeth line is not involved in the industrial dispute with the RMT but there will be some alterations to its services.
These include no trains between Maidenhead and Reading before 7am or after 7pm, and no trains between Brentwood and Shenfield from 11.30pm.
No Elizabeth line trains will serve the National Rail platforms at Paddington before 7am and after 7pm on Friday. These trains will start and terminate at Ealing Broadway. No change to trains which serve the Elizabeth line platforms.
Saturday: Usual timetable apart from no Elizabeth line trains will serve the National Rail platforms at Paddington before 7am.
Gatwick Express
Friday: No trains but Southern and Thameslink will serve Gatwick Airport until early afternoon.
Saturday: No trains.
Grand Central
Friday: Grand Central is not involved in the industrial dispute with the RMT but there will be minor alterations to its services.
Saturday: Strike action will not affect services on Saturday, but there will be an amended timetable due to planned work.
Great Northern
Friday: A limited service will run and only between 7am and 7pm. There will be no trains between Ely and King’s Lynn.
Saturday: No trains.
Great Western Railway
Friday: A limited service will run and only between 7.30am and 6.30pm.
The only open routes will be between: London Paddington and Bristol Temple Meads; London Paddington and Didcot; London Paddington and Cardiff; London Paddington and Plymouth; Gloucester and Swindon; London Paddington and Newbury; Greenford and West Ealing; Slough and Windsor; Maidenhead and Bourne End; Twyford and Slough; Reading and Basingstoke; Oxford and Banbury; Reading and Redhill; Oxford and Didcot (replacement bus service; Cardiff and Westbury; and Bristol Temple Meads and Plymouth.
The Night Riviera sleeper service is cancelled.
Saturday: A limited service will run and only between 7.30am and 6.30pm.
The only open routes will be between: London Paddington and Bristol Temple Meads; Reading and Didcot; Reading and Basingstoke; Reading and Redhill; Westbury and Swindon; Cardiff and Bristol; Exeter and Barnstaple; Plymouth and Gunnislake; and Penzance and St Ives.
The Night Riviera sleeper service is cancelled.
Greater Anglia
Friday: Trains will run between 7am and 11pm.
Some routes will have a reduced frequency, but most will have a normal or near-normal service. But there will be no services between Walton-on-the-Naze and Colchester Town/Colchester, or between Hertford East and London, or between Stratford and Meridian Water.
Saturday: A reduced service will run and only from 7am, with last trains earlier than normal.
Most routes will be closed, including between London Liverpool Street and Cambridge.
Heathrow Express
Friday: Usual timetable until 8.40pm. Last train from London Paddington 8.40pm, Heathrow Terminal 5 at 8.42pm, and then Heathrow Central at 8.47pm.
Saturday: No trains.
Hull Trains
All strike days: Usual timetable.
– London North Eastern Railway (LNER)
All strike days: A limited timetable will operate.
London Northwestern Railway
Friday: A limited service will run and only between 7am and 7pm.
The only open routes will be between Birmingham New Street and each of London Euston, Birmingham International and Liverpool Lime Street.
Saturday: No trains.
London Overground
Friday: London Overground is not involved in the industrial disputes but there will be minor alterations to some services.
Saturday: Usual timetable, apart from no service between Dundonald Road and Wimbledon on the tram before 6.45am.
Lumo
All strike days: Usual timetable.
Merseyrail
All strike days: Usual timetable.
Northern
Friday: Only a handful of routes will be open, such as between Liverpool Lime Street and Manchester; Leeds and York; and Darlington and Saltburn.
Saturday: No trains.
ScotRail
All strike days: Usual timetable.
South Western Railway
Friday: A reduced service will operate and only between 7am and 7pm.
Saturday: Services will be reduced and there will be no trains on the Isle of Wight.
Southeastern
Friday: A reduced service will operate, with some routes closed.
Saturday: No trains.
Southern
Friday: A reduced service will operate and only between 7am and 7pm.
No trains will run in a number of areas, including between: Hemel Hempstead and Clapham Junction; London Bridge and Norwood Junction; Southampton Central and Barnham; and Eastbourne and Ashford International.
Saturday: No trains.
Stansted Express
Friday: Services will not start until after 7am.
Saturday: Frequencies will be halved to one train per hour in each direction.
Thameslink
Friday: A reduced service will operate and only between 7am and 7pm.
Services will be split north and south, with nothing running between London St Pancras and London Blackfriars.
Saturday: No trains.
TransPennine Express
Friday: A reduced timetable will operate and only between: Manchester Piccadilly and York, Preston and Manchester Airport and Sheffield and Cleethorpes.
Saturday: No trains.
Transport for Wales
All strike days: Transport for Wales is not involved in the industrial disputes but some of its services will be amended.
West Midlands Railway
Friday: A limited service will run and only between 7am and 7pm.
The only open routes will be between: Birmingham New Street and each of Northampton, London Euston, Liverpool Lime Street, Wolverhampton, Rugeley Trent Valley, Lichfield Trent Valley, Redditch and Bromsgrove; between Kidderminster and Whitlocks End/Dorridge via Birmingham Snow Hill; and between Stourbridge Junction and Stourbridge Town.
Saturday: No trains.
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