Rail Delivery Group warns train strikes will lead to disruption for customers

Train strikes in April will affect services from a range of operators, the Rail Delivery Group has warned.

It is reminding customers to check before they travel from Thursday 4 April to Tuesday 9 April, as industrial action called by ASLEF takes place.

Drivers at 16 train companies will strike for 24 hours on dates between Friday 5 and Monday 8 April (not including Sunday 7 April), and there will be an overtime ban on all train companies from Thursday 4 to Saturday 6 April and from Monday 8 to Tuesday 9 April.  

The strikes will affect services on Avanti West Coast, East Midlands Railway, West Midlands Trains, Cross Country, Chiltern, GWR, LNER, Northern, TransPennine Express, Greater Anglia, GTR’s Great Northern, Thameslink and Southern (including Gatwick Express), Southeastern, and Southwestern Railway.

The Rail Delivery Group said that train companies will operate as many trains as possible throughout the period, but there will be regional variation with strike action affecting parts of the network on specific days. In some places there may be no services at all on strike days, and services that are running will start later and finish much earlier than usual – typically running between 7.30am and 6.30pm.    

It added that the rail industry is working hard to keep trains running, but it is likely that services on some lines will be affected on the evening before and morning after each strike between 5 April and 8 April, because many trains will not be in the right depots to start services the following day.     

London Underground drivers who are members of the ASLEF union are also set to strike for 24 hours on Monday 8 April. 

Special timetables are available on National Rail Enquiries  

A spokesperson for Rail Delivery Group, said: “We are sorry that this round of strikes called by the ASLEF leadership risk disrupting journeys.

“While we are doing all we can to keep trains running and we will work with our industry partners to keep as many trains running as possible, unfortunately there will be reduced services between Thursday 4 April to Tuesday 9 April. Our advice is to check before you travel and follow the latest travel information.” 

Ticketing arrangements        

Customers with Advance, Anytime or Off-Peak tickets for travel between Friday 5 April and Monday 8 April can instead use their tickets any time between Thursday 4 April up until Wednesday 10 April. The policy only applies to tickets purchased before the strikes were announced on 20 March.     

If the Advance ticket is for a train that is scheduled for a strike day, and that service is not cancelled, delayed or rescheduled, but a customer prefers not to travel, they should contact their ticket retailer.        

Customers with two Advance tickets (an outbound and a return), to be used as a return journey, may be able to get a fee-free refund or change of journey for any unused legs/tickets, if one (either) of the legs is scheduled for a strike day. Customers should check with their ticket retailer.        

Customers with season tickets (flexi, monthly or longer), who do not travel, can claim 100 per cent compensation for the strike dates through Delay Repay for the strike dates of the train operator for which they hold their season ticket with.    Customers can check on the National Rail Enquiries website or their rail operator’s website for further travel advice.     

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