Published on: Thursday, 27 October 2022
Last updated: Thursday, 27 October 2022
Picture credit: Greater Anglia
Greater Anglia is warning passengers of disruption caused by rail strikes next month – and advising that rail union RMT has changed one of the dates.
RMT strikes will severely impact Greater Anglia’s services on Saturday 5, Monday 7 and Wednesday 9 November – but not on Thursday 3 November as previously announced.
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 07.30am until 6.30pm 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 7.30am, and are expected to be very busy, especially in the morning rush hour.
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.
Trains not running due to the strike will not be replaced with buses.
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.
Trains on the day after each strike will start later than they usually do after a strike due to industrial action by Network Rail’s TSSA members.
They could also 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.
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 are advised by Greater Anglia to make alternative arrangements as kick-off for many matches is after trains will have finished running.
East Anglian teams playing in the first round of the FA Cup on Saturday 5 November include Colchester United, Needham Market, Ipswich Town, Chelmsford City, Peterborough and Cambridge United.
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, are also advised 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.