Train drivers who are members of the Aslef trade union are set to stage a "last resort" strike over pay.
The strike is due to take place on Saturday, August 13 because rail firms have "failed" to make a pay offer to drivers which "keeps pace" with the rise in cost of living, an Aslef spokesperson said.
The lack of train drivers is likely to leave much of the East entirely cut off from the rest of the rail network.
Greater Anglia, Thameslink and Great Northern have all warned of disruption to their Saturday trains as a result of the nationwide strike.
Here's everything you need to know about the drivers' strike:
When is the train driver strike?
The Aslef train driver strike is set to take place on Saturday, August 13.
Another strike, by RMT trade union members, is planned the following week - on Thursday, August 18 and Saturday, August 20.
The August 18 and 20 strike includes railway staff across the industry - including Network Rail signalling staff - with an estimated 40,000 workers set to stage a walkout on both days.
The lack of signalling staff means only a small number of lines will be open.
Is my line affected by strikes on Saturday, August 13?
Limited timetables are in place throughout the East of England.
Avanti West Coast: An Avanti spokesperson said: "On August 13, please do not travel on Avanti West Coast – we will not be running any services on our routes."
More information: https://bit.ly/3zP4pwH
c2c: No strike.
Chiltern Railways: No strike.
CrossCountry: A CrossCountry spokesperson said: "Due to industrial action by the Aslef union, there will be no CrossCountry services running on Saturday, August 13."
More information: https://www.crosscountrytrains.co.uk/disruption
Greater Anglia: A limited service is set to run on the following routes:
- London Liverpool Street - Colchester or Norwich
- London Liverpool Street - Southend Victoria
- London Liverpool Street - Waltham Cross
- Harlow Town - Stansted Airport
The route between London and Stansted Airport has been split into two parts due to engineering works at Broxbourne, with a bus replacement between Waltham Cross and Harlow Town.
There is no service expected on any other Greater Anglia lines.
A company spokesperson said: "Please avoid travelling with us.
"Our service will be heavily reduced and disrupted. Most routes will not have trains or bus replacements for them.
"Stansted Airport customers are advised to make alternative travel arrangements for this weekend."
More information: https://bit.ly/3pfkJSB
Great Northern, Southern and Thameslink: No strike. A spokesperson said: "We expect our whole network to be disrupted and extremely busy."
Hull Trains: Only one service will run each way (London - Hull) on Saturday. Trains are not due to stop at Stevenage or Peterborough.
More information: https://bit.ly/3di9xlj
LNER: A limited service is set to run between London and Edinburgh, Leeds and York only. Some first train times will be later than usual, with some last train times earlier than usual.
More information: https://bit.ly/3PbRVFb
London Northwestern Railway: An LNR spokesperson said: "No London Northwestern Railway or West Midlands Railway services will run on Saturday, August 13."
More information: https://bit.ly/3QlRc5y
London Overground: A TfL spokesperson said: "There will be no service due to strike action from members of the Aslef union who work for Arriva Rail London."
More information: https://tfl.gov.uk/
Lumo: No strike.
Elsewhere in the country: Strikes are taking place at Great Western Railway and Southeastern.
Can I catch a train to see the football?
Greater Anglia is urging football fans not to catch its trains, despite five East of England fixtures scheduled to take place on Saturday:
- Cambridge United vs Exeter City
- Norwich City vs Hull City
- Ipswich Town vs Colchester United
- Peterborough United vs Plymouth Argyle
- Arsenal vs Leicester City
The firm has also urged Coldplay fans not to catch the train into London for Wembley Stadium.
Jamie Burles, Greater Anglia managing director, said: "We know that many people from our region would have been planning to travel by train either to the football or to see Coldplay or for the many other events around our region on Saturday.
"Unfortunately, our advice is avoid travelling on our trains because with our train drivers on strike we can’t run 90 per cent of our services.
"We are very sorry for the inconvenience these strikes are causing our customers."
How can I refund my train ticket?
According to National Rail, passengers who cannot travel due to strikes should contact the retailer which sold them the ticket.
A Q&A page is on the National Rail website: https://bit.ly/3zSYhTY
Why are train drivers striking?
According to Aslef, train drivers have not had a new pay deal since 2019.
Mick Whelan, Aslef general secretary, said: "We don’t want to inconvenience passengers – our friends and families use public transport, too – and we don’t want to lose money by going on strike but we’ve been forced into this position by the companies, who say they have been driven to this by the Tory government.
"Many of our members – who were the men and women who moved key workers and goods around the country during the pandemic – have not had a pay rise since 2019.
"It’s not unreasonable to ask your employer to make sure you’re not worse off for three years in a row, especially as the train companies are doing very nicely, thank you, out of Britain’s railways – with handsome profits, dividends for shareholders, and big salaries for managers – and train drivers don’t want to work longer for less."
The demand follows a record-level rise in the cost of living.
According to July figures from the Office for National Statistics, the UK consumer price index - the average cost of consumer goods or services - rose by an estimated 9.4 per cent year-on-year.
How have rail bosses responded to the strike?
Steve Montgomery is the chair of the Rail Delivery Group, which represents the train operators.
Mr Montgomery said: "We call on Aslef to come to the table, so we can fund the pay rise we want to give our people while delivering the improvements in Sunday services and greater punctuality our passengers deserve.
"While we will do all that we can to minimise disruption and to get people where they need to be, if you are going to travel on the routes affected, please plan ahead and check the latest travel advice and be aware that services may start later the morning after strikes."
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