Rail passengers will face more travel chaos today as another strike takes place in the long-running dispute over pay, work and conditions.
Thousands of workers who are part of the drivers’ union Aslef and the Transport Staff Association (TSSA) will take part in the walkout, which will disrupt a number of services.
Aslef general secretary Mick Whelan said strike action would continue until the government intervened.
He called on Transport Minister Anne-Marie Trevelyan to “remove the shackles” from rail companies so they can make an offer to pay workers.
“The message I am getting from my members is that they are in this for the long haul and if anything they want strike action to be stepped up,” he said.
What services are affected?
East Midlands Railway, Chiltern Railways, West Midlands Railway, Southeastern, Northern Trains, London Overground, Avanti West Coast and CrossCountry – No services on any route
Great Western Railway – “extremely limited service” from 0730 to 1830. Rail services will only operate between Bristol Temple Meads and London Paddington; Reading and Oxford; and Reading and Basingstoke.
LNER – No service to/from stations north of York and LNER advises customers not to travel to/from stations north of York. A limited service will only run on these routes: London King’s Cross and York and Doncaster and Leeds.
TransPennine Express – “very limited service on some routes” with customers advised to travel only “if journeys are essential”. The company will continue to provide further updates “as soon as possible”.
Greater England – People told to ‘avoid travelling’, with most routes not expected to have trains or bus replacements
Please use the Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
0:58 Interruption is “inevitable” during strikes
What effect will the strike have?
Although South Western Railway, c2c, Southern, Great Northern, Thameslink or Gatwick Express will not be taking part in the strike action, they have all warned that services may be busier than usual.
Travelers are advised to check before traveling and allow extra time for their journey.
Services are also likely to be disrupted early Thursday morning as workers return to duty.
The disruption will affect football matches and the final day of the Conservative Party conference in Birmingham.
Read more: Royal Mail strike – When do staff walk out and what is affected? Worst performing rail operator revealed. The swan on the train tracks held up rush hour commuters for an hour
The TSSA also plans to hold another round of strikes on Thursday, Friday and Saturday, while members of the Rail, Maritime and Transport Union at more than a dozen rail companies and Network Rail will walk out on Saturday.
Passengers with advance tickets, off-peak tickets or any time affected by the strikes can use their ticket the day before the booked date or up to and including 7 October.
If this is not an option, the date of the ticket can be changed to travel on another date or its price can be refunded if the train is canceled or rescheduled.
Please use the Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
2:04 What do rail workers want?
“We’re not hitting lightly, but we’re ready to dig in”
The rail sector has seen several strikes so far this year, causing misery for passengers and frustration among workers.
Although the government has not stepped in to allow rail companies to offer a pay rise, the transport minister indicated he now sees the outlook for rail workers “more clearly”.
Speaking to BBC Radio 4’s World at One programme, Ms Trevelyan said she met Mr Whelan and RMT general secretary Mick Lynch because she “really wanted to understand where they were coming from”.
TSSA General Secretary Manuel Cortes said union members remain “resolute” that their demands will be met.
“We are not striking lightly, but we are prepared to stick around as we seek a fair deal on pay, job security and conditions in the face of cuts, economic collapse and a cost of living crisis at the hands of this chaotic Tory government,” he said .
“It’s time for ministers to get wise and act now to get a fair deal that will stop a winter of rail misery across the network.”
Add Comment