Rail passengers are being urged only to travel if necessary on Saturday because of a strike by workers in the long-running dispute over pay, jobs and conditions. Members of the Rail, Maritime and Transport union (RMT), Aslef, Unite and the Transport Salaried Staffs’ Association (TSSA) will stage a co-ordinated walkout, causing huge disruption to services.
A reduced timetable has been published, showing that just 11% of rail services will run, with some areas having no trains. Avanti West Coast will not be running any services at all on Saturday (October 1) or Wednesday (October 5) and have warned of severe disruption.
Their website advises: "Please do not attempt to travel on Avanti West Coast on 1 or 5 October - we will not be running any services on our route. On 8 October, we strongly advise to only travel by rail if absolutely necessary. If your journey is essential, please plan ahead as your entire journey will likely be severely disrupted. The days after industrial action will also be affected."
Saturday will be the first time the unions have walked out on the same day, so services will be more significantly disrupted than on previous strike days. Trains will start later in the morning and finish earlier in the evening.
People planning to get to Sunday's London Marathon have also been warned of the disruption.
Unlike previous strike days, this Saturday there will be no trains between London and a number of other major UK cities – including Edinburgh, Manchester, Liverpool, Birmingham, Newcastle, Brighton and Norwich. Another strike will be held on October 8.
Passengers are advised that there is likely to be some disruption in the early morning of Sunday October 2 as workers return to duties. Andrew Haines, Network Rail chief executive, said: “Despite our best efforts to compromise and find a breakthrough in talks, rail unions remain intent on continuing and coordinating their strike action.
“This serves only to ensure our staff forgo even more of their pay unnecessarily, as well as causing even more disruption for our passengers and further damaging the railway’s recovery from the pandemic. Passengers who want to travel this Saturday, and indeed next Wednesday and next Saturday, are asked only to do so if absolutely necessary. Those who must travel should expect disruption and make sure they check when their last train will depart.”
Daniel Mann, director of industry operations at Rail Delivery Group, said: “It is particularly disheartening that this weekend’s strike will hit the plans of thousands of runners who have trained for months to take part in the iconic London Marathon. That will also punish the many charities, large and small, who depend on sponsorship money raised by such events to support the most vulnerable in our community.
“While we have done all we can to keep some services running, passengers should only travel by rail if absolutely necessary. Passengers with advance, off-peak or anytime tickets affected by the strikes on 1 October can use their ticket on the day before the booked date, or up to and including 4 October.
"Passengers can also change their tickets to travel on an alternate date or get a refund if their train is cancelled or rescheduled.”#
Mick Lynch, general secretary of the RMT union, said: “Transport workers are joining a wave of strike action on October 1st, sending a clear message to the government and employers that working people will not accept continued attacks on pay and working conditions at a time when big business profits are at an all-time high.
”The Summer of Solidarity we have seen will continue into the Autumn and Winter if employers and the government continue to refuse workers reasonable demands.
“We want a settlement to these disputes where our members and their families can get a square deal. And we will not rest until we get a satisfactory outcome.”
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