The latest set of strikes by rail workers is set to cause travel disruption for many passengers this weekend. People are being urged to only travel if necessary on Saturday due to the ongoing 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. A reduced timetable for tomorrow has been published, showing just 11% of rail services continuing its planned schedule, with some areas having no trains at all, including the London Overground.
Trains will start later in the morning and finish earlier in the evening, while large parts of the network will be completely train-free. This is likely to cause issues for people travelling in and around the capital as part of Sunday’s London Marathon, with disruption expected to continue into the early hours of the following morning.
Runners and spectators trying to reach Greenwich in time for the 9.30am start will likely be frustrated by the strike. Trains travelling any reasonable distance into central London will not arrive much before 9am, while on Sunday, as services will start much later, only those travelling a short distance to the Marathon will reach the start-line on time.
This weekend also sees the Conservative Party conference take place, with delegates travelling among those affected. Anyone who must travel tomorrow is advised to plan ahead and check when their last train will depart.
On the eve of the mass walkout, a union leader has warned that further strikes at later dates are “inevitable” unless the deadlocked row is resolved soon. Another strike by Aslef will be held this coming Wednesday, while RMT members will walk out again on October 8, and again on October 10 in Scotland.
Mick Whelan, general secretary of Aslef, told the PA News Agency about the increasing anger of his members as a result of the lack of progress in the dispute. He said: “We don’t want to be on strike, but this dispute will continue until the Government lifts the shackles from the train companies.
“The message I am receiving from my members is that they want more industrial action, so I think more strikes are inevitable.” 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.”
Daniel Mann, director of industry operations at Rail Delivery Group, added: “These strikes are unnecessary and damaging. They disrupt passengers’ plans, undermine struggling businesses, hit major events and harm the industry’s recovery.
“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.”
