Greater Anglia has warned passengers that the recent change to RMT strike dates could not only lead to chaos on the days of the industrial action, but also the days following.
Services on Greater Anglia services will be impacted by strikes on Saturday 5, Monday 7 and Wednesday 9 November – but not on Thursday 3 November as previously announced. Network Rail RMT members, including maintenance teams and signallers, are striking on all three days, and 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.
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.”
The operator will run a very limited service between London Liverpool Street and Norwich, Colchester, Southend Victoria, Cambridge and on the Stansted Express between London and Stansted Airport, but only between the hours of 7.30am until 6.30pm when all trains must have finished their journeys – and with no trains on any other routes.
Due to additional industrial action by Network Rail’s TSSA members, concern has also been expressed that the first services on the day after each strike will also be disrupted, with services likely to be very busy and departures likely to start later than usual, from 7.30am.
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.
Fans hoping to travel 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.
Jamie Burles said: “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 how the strike impacts Greater Anglia services is available here greateranglia.co.uk/strikes
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info@railbusinessdaily.com
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