Rail strikes this weekend: All you need to know – how will London be affected?
Train services are being hit by more strike action this weekend, with London set to be hit by industrial action on routes to major airports and transport hubs.
Members of Aslef and the Rail, Maritime and Transport union (RMT) at train operators will walk out in long-running disputes on Friday and Saturday respectively.
Further strikes will be held on May 31 and June 3 – the day of the FA Cup final at Wembley.
It was reported yesterday however, The FA has secured 120 extra coaches to help fans reach the FA Cup final next month.
This morning, Aslef general secretary Mick Whelan said the union has seen “neither hide nor hair” from the Government since January in the dispute.
Yesterday, TSSA President Marios Alexandrou took aim at Rishi Sunak’s rail policy and private jet-setting, inviting the Prime Minister to “come take a train journey with me” amid continued industrial action.
Here is a breakdown of each operator’s plan for strike days – and how the capital will be affected in particular.
London
The Underground has NO planned strike action – though there will be disruption to the Central and District Lines.
London Overground
Friday: Usual timetable.
Saturday: London Overground is not involved in the industrial dispute with the RMT but there will be minor alterations to some of its services.
Friday: Usual timetable.
Elizabeth line
Saturday: 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.
Saturday 13 May, before 0700 and after 1900, trains to/from Reading, Maidenhead and Heathrow which start or terminate at Paddington
Thameslink
The Thameslink service, which runs through London transport hubs including Farringdon, Blackfriars and King’s Cross, will be out of action
Friday: No trains.
Saturday: Services will be split north and south, with nothing running between London St Pancras and London Blackfriars.
London Airports
Stansted Express
Friday: Frequencies will be halved to one train per hour in each direction.
Saturday: Frequencies will be halved to one per hour in each direction, and trains will start later and finish earlier than normal.
Heathrow Express
Friday: No trains.
Saturday: No trains after 9pm.
Gatwick Express
Friday: No trains.
Saturday: No trains but Southern and Thameslink will serve Gatwick Airport.
Other routes to and from London
London North Eastern Railway (LNER)
Friday and Saturday: A limited timetable will operate and only between London King’s Cross and both Edinburgh and Leeds.
London Northwestern Railway
Friday: No trains.
Saturday: 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.
Liverpool is hosting the Eurovision Song Contest, on behalf of Ukraine.
Southern
Friday: No trains.
Saturday: A reduced service will operate. No trains will run between Hemel Hempstead and Clapham Junction; London Bridge and Norwood Junction; Southampton Central and Barnham; and Eastbourne and Ashford International.
c2c
Friday: Usual timetable.
Saturday: No major impact but all services will run to/from London Fenchurch Street and will not call at London Liverpool Street or Stratford.
Chiltern Railways
Friday: No trains.
Saturday: No trains will run north of Banbury.
Services that do run will be limited to one train per hour in both directions between London Marylebone and each of Banbury, Oxford and Aylesbury via Amersham, and only between around 9am and 9pm.
Avanti West Coast
Friday: No trains.
Saturday: Fewer trains than normal will run and only between 7am and 7pm, with the exception of some services to and from Liverpool which is hosting the Eurovision song contest.
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; Reading and Didcot; Reading and Basingstoke; Reading and Redhill; Westbury and Swindon; Cardiff and Bristol; and Plymouth and Gunnislake.
More routes will be open compared with Friday, including additions such as between London Paddington and Didcot Parkway; London Paddington and Cardiff; Slough and Windsor; and Penzance and Plymouth.
Greater Anglia
Friday: A reduced service will run and only between London Liverpool Street and each of Cambridge, Norwich, Southend and Stansted Airport.
Saturday: Trains will run between 7am and 11pm.
Some routes will have a reduced frequency, but most will have a normal or near normal service.
East Midlands Railway
Friday: No trains.
Saturday: Services will run between 7am and 7pm.
They will be limited to just one train per hour in each direction between London St Pancras and each of Nottingham, Sheffield and Corby, as well as a handful of regional routes such as between Derby and Matlock.
Services will be reduced between London Waterloo and Exeter, in the Romsey area and on the suburban network.
Saturday: A reduced service will operate and only between 7am and 7pm.
The only open routes will be between London Waterloo and each of Windsor via Hounslow; Windsor via Richmond; Woking; and Basingstoke; between Basingstoke and Salisbury; and on the Isle of Wight
Southeastern
Friday: No trains.
Saturday: A reduced service will operate, with only 58 out of 180 stations open.
Trains that do run will be busier than normal, and services are likely to start later and finish earlier than usual.
Press Association – Neil Lancefield