Anyone travelling by train on Sunday, Bank Holiday Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday may be affected by the planned train strikes, which are set to take place from Monday morning. These have been called by the RMT and TSSA trade union members employed by Network Rail.
Talks are ongoing so the strike may be called off. We look at who is affected and what you can do.
Will any trains be running on Monday or Tuesday?
Yes, there will be some services to some destinations although Virgin announced today that is has cancelled all services on Monday and Tuesday on its West Coast line. It will run a very limited service on its East Coast line on Monday and Tuesday. It said passengers planning to travel on Sunday and Wednesday should also check before they travel as services on those days may be affected.
Most train operating companies are still working this out and you will need to contact your company to find out more, or check their website today and tomorrow.
First Great Western has already announced its plans in the event of a strike, subject to agreement from Network rail. There will be no trains on the following lines on Monday, Tuesday and early Wednesday:
- North Cotswolds line, from Oxford and calling at Worcester and Hereford, or services between Didcot and Oxford
- Beyond Plymouth to Penzance and on Devon and Cornwall branch line services
- Reading to Gatwick Airport/Reading to Basingstoke
- Between Swindon and Gloucester/Cheltenham
- Between Bath Spa and Portsmouth Harbour
- Between Reading and Taunton
- On the Henley-on-Thames and Greenford Branch lines
- On Severn Beach branch line
FGW will operate a reduced services to other destinations and on other parts of the line. For example trains from Paddington to Plymouth will operate hourly.
Get the latest from the rail companies
Most companies have announced their plans:
-
Virgin
-
Gatwick Express
-
Heathrow Express
-
Heathrow Connect
-
Southeastern
-
Chiltern
-
London Midland
-
First Great Western
-
Abellio Greater Anglia
-
London Underground
Will there be replacement buses running for any lines?
It is unlikely as the number of affected passengers is so great. However, National Express has said that it will be running extra coaches over the Bank Holiday period to cover routes affected by the strike. So far it has added 40,000 extra seats.
I plan to travel by train next week. Will I be affected?
The strike will directly affect trains on Monday and Tuesday but because people who travel on those days will have their tickets accepted on trains on Sunday and Wednesday, services on those two days are also likely to be affected by overcrowding and/or delays. The strike could also have an impact later into the week as the train companies attempt to resume a normal service.
I have bought tickets for Monday and/or Tuesday. Can I get a refund?
Yes, all the operating and ticket issuing companies we spoke to (thetrainline.com and raileasy.co.uk) are issuing full refunds now, even though the strike may be called off. The money will go back to the card that you paid with.
Season ticket holders will be compensated for any days affected.
Will I have to pay an admin fee to cancel?
No. The operating companies all say they are waiving the admin fee as do thetrainline.com and raileasy.com. If you bought your ticket elsewhere you will need to check with the retailer but it is unlikely that you will be out of pocket.
How do I get a refund?
If you bought your tickets over the phone or at a station you will need to request a claim form and post the tickets back to the train company. If you bought over the phone and are finding it difficult to get through to the after-sales department you can fill in a claim form at any any mainline station. If you bought online you can apply for a refund by logging in to your account, following the instructions and scanning in your tickets.
You should get a refund within 28 days. However, depending on the volume of refunds being processed over the strike period, you may have to wait longer.
Should I just get a refund and rebook for later in the week now?
You can do that but the general advice from the companies we spoke to is to hold off if you can. This seems sensible advice, as although your money will be refunded for your existing tickets, you will have to pay the current price for any new ticket. This will be higher than your original price as it is a last-minute purchase and train fares will have gone up. You might be better waiting to see if the strike is called off before spending more money.
If I do want to travel on the Sunday or Wednesday instead will I get a seat?
It looks like it will be a bit of a bun fight as the companies are saying they are unlikely to honour any seat reservations on those days. This could affect passengers who have already booked to travel on Sunday or Wednesday too.
If I do want to chance my arm on one of these days can I pick any train?
Yes, subject to any travel restrictions that would normally apply to your ticket.
If you have an advance purchase ticket (one that is usually restricted to a single service) for Monday or Tuesday you will be able to travel on Sunday or Wednesday using the same service or one immediately before or after the booked time.
