November rail strike reminder – first strike this Saturday

Credit: Greater Anglia Greater Anglia is reminding people that the first of three very disruptive national rail strikes is this Saturday, 5 November. RMT strikes will severely impact Greater Anglia’s services on Saturday 5, Monday 7 and Wednesday 9 November. Greater Anglia is advising people to avoid using its trains on strike days – and to check before they travel and expect busy trains on the morning after each strike. The company is advising football fans and people going to shows and events in London on strike days to make alternative travel arrangements. A very limited service will run between London Liverpool Street and Norwich, Colchester, Southend Victoria, Cambridge and on the Stansted Express between London and Stansted Airport, only between the hours from 07.30 until 18.30 when all trains must have finished their journeys – and with no trains on any other routes. First services on the day after each strike will also be disrupted – they will start later than usual, from 07.15, and are expected to be very busy, especially in the morning rush hour. Trains not running due to the strike will not be replaced with buses. Timetables for Saturday’s strike are now available on Greater Anglia’s website and app. First trains to Liverpool Street on 5, 7 and 9 November will depart Southend Victoria at 07.30, Norwich at 08.30, Colchester (stopping service) 07.30, and Cambridge 08.20. The first Stansted Express services are from Stansted Airport at 07.42 and from Liverpool Street at 08.10. Last trains back from Liverpool Street on 5, 7 and 9 November will depart for Southend Victoria at 17.30, Colchester 17.00 (stopper) 17.25 (calling at Stratford, Chelmsford and Colchester only), and Cambridge 16.25. The last Stansted Express services are from Stansted Airport at 17.12 and from Liverpool Street at 17.40. First trains to Liverpool Street on 6 November will depart Southend Victoria at 07.18, Norwich at 07.30, Colchester 07.27 and Cambridge 07.31. The first Stansted Express services on 6 November will leave Stansted Airport at 07.42 and Liverpool Street at 07.40. First trains to Liverpool Street on 8 and 10 November will depart Southend Victoria at 07.18, Norwich at 07.15, Colchester 07.17 and Cambridge 07.20. The first Stansted Express services on 8 and 10 November will leave Stansted Airport at 07.40 and Liverpool Street at 07.26. First trains on the morning after each strike could be further disrupted as Network Rail’s leaf busting rail head treatment trains will not be able to carry out their usual night-time runs on strike days to treat rails made slippery due to autumn conditions, so rails may need to be treated in the morning which may further push back the time of some first trains. Greater Anglia’s RMT members including conductors, station staff, train cleaners, catering and revenue protection teams, are due to strike on Saturday 5 and Wednesday 9 November. Network Rail RMT members including maintenance teams and signallers are striking on all three days. London Underground and Overground RMT staff are also on strike on Thursday 10 November. Greater Anglia is advising football fans travelling to see matches in the first round of the FA cup on Saturday 5 November and the third round of the EFL cup on Wednesday 9 November to make alternative arrangements as kick-off for many matches is after trains will have finished running. The company is also advising people travelling to London for plays, shows and other events, including the Kaiser Chiefs on Saturday 5 November and Kendrick Lamar on Monday 7 and Wednesday 9 November, all at the o2 Arena, to make alternative travel arrangements as last trains back from London will be no later than 5.30pm Jamie Burles, Greater Anglia managing director, said: “We’re very sorry that once again people’s travel plans are disrupted by strikes. “Unfortunately, we’re only able to run a very limited service on strike days so our advice must be to avoid using our trains on those days impacted by the industrial action. “We know it affects so many passengers from those trying to get to work, school or college to football fans wanting to cheer on their teams in the first round of the FA Cup, as well as people wanting to enjoy an evening out in London. “The rail industry will continue to talk to unions to try to resolve the strikes so we can get back to enjoying travelling by train as normal.” Full information about the strike will be constantly updated at greateranglia.co.uk/strikes. Passengers who have booked tickets to travel on strike days can get a free refund from the retailer where they bought the ticket, change the date of travel or use the ticket to travel on the day before they were due to travel or up to and including Friday 11 November. Other train companies affected by strike action on 5, 7 and 9 November are Avanti West Coast, c2c, Chiltern Railway, CrossCountry, East Midlands Railway, Govia Thameslink Railway, Great Western Railway, London North Eastern Railway, Merseyrail, Northern Trains, Southeastern Trains, South Western Railway, TransPennine Express and West Midlands Trains.