REMINDER: rail strikes on Wednesday 5 and Saturday 8 October

A Greater Anglia train. Credit: Greater Anglia Greater Anglia is reminding passengers there are two more rail strikes this week – on Wednesday and Saturday – when people are advised not to travel by train. Train drivers’ union ASLEF is striking on Wednesday 5 October – leaving Greater Anglia able to run only about ten percent of its services, with no trains at all in Cambridgeshire. On Saturday 8 October, a national strike by rail union RMT, including Greater Anglia’s conductors, station staff, revenue protection teams and train cleaners, as well as Network Rail’s maintenance teams and signallers – will leave the train company only able to run a very reduced service on lines to London Liverpool Street between 7.30am and 6.30pm when all trains must be at their final destination. On both strike days Greater Anglia services will be severely disrupted, with the company only able to run a fraction of its services and no services at all running on regional or branch lines. The company is advising people, including football and boxing fans and students going by train to school or college, to avoid travelling on its trains on strike days as services will be severely disrupted. Football fans hoping to travel matches on Saturday should make alternative arrangements because many matches will not finish before last trains have departed. Teams playing on Saturdays include all of East Anglia’s biggest teams: Norwich City, Ipswich Town, Cambridge United, Peterborough United and Colchester United, as well as Tottenham Hotspur. People with tickets for the Eubank Jr and Benn boxing match at the O2 arena on Saturday should also make alternative travel arrangements. As a knock-on effect of the 24-hour strikes, early trains will start later than usual on Thursday 6 and Sunday 9 October, with no first services before 7/7.30am. On ASLEF strike days, Greater Anglia is unable to run any services from Cambridge to Liverpool Street, while on RMT strike days operating hours are restricted to 7.30am to 6.30pm due to Network Rail’s signallers also being on strike. Services on each of the strike days are different, depending on which union is on strike. Wednesday 5 October – ASLEF

• No services between Cambridge and Liverpool Street or on regional/branch lines
• Reduced service of one train per hour between Norwich, Colchester and Southend Victoria and Liverpool Street and on the Stansted Express (between Stansted Airport and Liverpool Street) but starting earlier and finishing later than on Saturday
• First and last train times from Norwich to Liverpool Street are 08.00 and 19.00 and from Liverpool Street to Norwich are 10.30 and 21.30
• First and last train times for stopping service from Colchester to Liverpool street are 08.13 and 20.13 and from Liverpool Street to Colchester 09.55 and 22.00
• First and last train times from Southend Victoria to Liverpool Street are 08.13 and 22.00 and from Liverpool Street to Southend Victoria 09.47 and 23.45
• First and last Stansted Express train times from Stansted Airport are 05.30 and 23.42 and from Liverpool Street 04.10 and 23.25.

Saturday 8 October – RMT

• No services on regional/branch lines
• Reduced service of one train per hour between Norwich, Colchester and Cambridge and Liverpool Street from 7.30am, with all last trains completing their journey by 6.30pm
• Reduced service of two trains per hour between Southend Victoria and Liverpool Street and on the Stansted Express from 7.30am, with all last trains completing their journey by 6.30pm

On Saturday 8 October, due to engineering work, there is a rail replacement bus service between Colchester and Ingatestone connecting with the heavily reduced train service. There will be no rail replacement buses to replace trains not running due to the strike. Jamie Burles, Greater Anglia managing director said: “We are very sorry that once again our customers will be disrupted by strikes, which this time will affect school or college students, commuters, business travellers as well as football fans and people with tickets for the boxing match at the O2 arena. “We’re only able to run a fraction of our usual services, so our advice again is to avoid using our trains on strike days. “The rail industry is working hard to resolve these disputes and talks will continue with ASLEF and RMT in an effort to avert the strikes.” Anyone who has pre-booked tickets to travel on strike days can change them, use them to travel on either the day before or up to two days later, or apply for a refund by going back to their original retailer. Passenger assistance will be available as usual for all trains which are running. Anyone requiring assistance who cannot avoid travelling by train on strike days should plan their journey and book assistance in advance if possible. Strike day timetables are now available for the strike on Wednesday 5  October. Greater Anglia is currently finalising details of the other strike day timetables and will publish them on its website when are they are ready along with first and last train times. Further information is available from greateranglia.co.uk/strikes and the company’s social media, which will be updated as details are finalised. Other train companies affected by strikes on both days are Chiltern Railways, CrossCountry Trains, LNER, East Midlands Railway, c2c, GWR, Northern Trains, Southeastern, Transpennine Express, Avanti West Coast and West Midlands Trains, Hull Trains and London Overground. Network Rail, Southwestern and GTR – which includes Great Northern, Thameslink and the Gatwick Express – and will be affected by strikes Saturday 8 October