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Press release -

REMINDER NATIONAL STRIKE: Only travel if your journey is absolutely necessary on Great Northern, Southern and Thameslink on 18 and 20 August, travel later on the mornings after

  • RMT members at Network Rail and UK train operators striking on Thursday 18 and Saturday 20 August
  • Very few trains will run, with no service at all on many lines south of London or between Cambridge and King’s Lynn
  • There will be a late start-up (7.30am or later) and early finish (from as early as 4.30pm to 6.30pm) across the network. There will be no alternative travel.
  • Anyone trying to travel should check first and last trains for their specific station. Avoid first and last trains if possible – they will be very busy
  • Late start-up on the days after (19 and 21 August) and an amended service on 19 August. Travel later in the day if possible – first trains will be much later than usual and very busy

Passengers should travel only if absolutely necessary on Southern, Great Northern and Thameslink on Thursday 18 and Saturday 20 August and the mornings after on Friday 19 and Sunday 21 August due to this week's strike by RMT members at Network Rail and UK train operators.

Strike days, 18 and 20 August

Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR) will be running the same service plan as for the last strikes in July and warns there will be very few trains, with crowding expected, particularly on first and last trains. Gatwick Express will not operate although the airport will have a limited Southern and Thameslink service.

There will be no service at all on many lines south of London or on the route between Cambridge and King’s Lynn (see map). Trains will start running at around 7.30am and finish between 4.30pm and 6.30pm. However, passengers need to check what this means for their journeys as first trains may not reach stations until considerable later than usual and last trains will end much earlier than usual.

Friday 19 August and Sunday 21 August

Services will also start later the morning after each strike, with an amended Sunday service set to run on Friday 19 August. Morning trains are likely to be very busy. Customers are recommended to travel later, plan their journeys and check again before travelling. On Friday 19 August, strike action in London on underground and bus services may further impact journeys.

Online journey planners such as nationalrail.co.uk are up-to-date with the latest service information for Thursday 18, Friday 19 and Saturday 20 August. Sunday 21 August is also live, however there will still be amendments to early morning services.

GTR has once again been in touch with local stakeholders, including hospitals, to notify them of the impact of the RMT strike action.

See notes to editors for more details.

Angie Doll, Chief Operating Officer, Govia Thameslink Railway, said: 

“We’re very sorry that our strong advice to passengers is to travel by rail only if absolutely necessary on Thursday 18 August and Saturday 20 August. Strike action by RMT members means train services across the country will be significantly limited once again, with many routes not running at all.

“Services for the whole period between the 18 and 21 August will also start much later in the morning than usual, so please travel later in the day if you can. First trains will be extremely busy and therefore you may not be able to board. Trains on strike days will also finish as early as 4.30pm so please plan ahead if you absolutely have to travel on these days.

“We’re so disappointed that rail disruption due to strikes is affecting our passengers again. We urge the RMT to work with the industry and come to a resolution.”

Striking signallers at Network Rail will have the greatest impact on the service, leading GTR to focus on providing a service on its busiest mainline routes only.

Andrew Haines, Network Rail chief executive, said:

“It saddens me that we are again having to ask passengers to stay away from the railway for two days next week due to unnecessary strike action, when we should be helping them enjoy their summers.

“We’ll run as many services as we can Thursday and Saturday, but it will only be around a fifth of the usual timetable, so please only travel if absolutely necessary and if you must travel, plan ahead and check when your last train will be.”

ends

Notes to editors

Information about the service and further FAQs available online at www.gatwickexpress.com, www.greatnorthernrail.com, www.southernrailway.com and www.thameslinkrailway.com.

There will be a skeleton service (see below) of around 25% of normal on 18 and 20 August with many lines closed altogether (see map). There will also be a reduced service based on an amended Sunday timetable (about 60% of weekdays) on the Friday following the strike – 19 August – due to the late start-up and impact of the previous day. Sunday 21 August will be a normal Sunday service, but with services starting later than usual. Crowding and delays are expected throughout.

Alternative travel
As this industrial action is affecting the whole country, GTR will be unable to provide alternatives such as replacement buses and ticket acceptance with other local rail and bus operators.

Tickets, refunds and compensation
Passengers with an advance, off peak or anytime ticket who have bought a ticket for 18 or 20 August can use it for travel the day before, or any day from then through to Tuesday 23 August (inclusive). Passengers can also change their tickets to travel on an alternative date using the Book With Confidence Policy, or get a refund if their train is cancelled or rescheduled.

Passengers with a season ticket that is monthly or longer, or who activate a day’s worth of travel for 18 or 20 August on a flexi season ticket and then choose not to travel on the strike days can claim compensation for this day through the Delay Repay scheme. Further information is on the National Rail website.

18 and 20 August: Services between London Bridge / London Victoria and the south coast

London Victoria and Brighton

Two trains per hour will run between London Victoria and Brighton, calling at London Victoria, Clapham Junction, East Croydon, Gatwick Airport and Brighton only.

London Bridge and Brighton

Two trains per hour will run between London Bridge and Brighton, calling at London Bridge, East Croydon, Gatwick Airport, Three Bridges, Balcombe, Hayward’s Heath, Wivelsfield, Burgess Hill, Hassocks, Preston Park and Brighton only.

London Bridge and Gatwick Airport

Two trains per hour will run between London Bridge and Gatwick Airport, calling at London Bridge, Norwood Junction, East Croydon, Redhill, Earlswood, Salfords, Horley and Gatwick Airport only.

London Bridge and Three Bridges

Two trains per hour will run between London Bridge and Three Bridges, calling at London Bridge, Norwood Junction, East Croydon, Coulsdon South, Merstham, Redhill, Horley, Gatwick Airport and Three Bridges only.

Brighton and Hove

Two trains per hour will run between Brighton and Hove only.

18 and 20 August: Services between London Bridge / London Victoria and South London

London Victoria and Sutton

Two trains per hour will run between London Victoria and Sutton, calling at London Victoria, Clapham Junction, Balham, Mitcham Eastfields, Mitcham Junction, Hackbridge, Carshalton, and Sutton only.

London Victoria and Epsom Downs via Selhurst

Two trains per hour will run between London Victoria and Epsom Downs, calling at London Victoria, Battersea Park, Clapham Junction, Wandsworth Common, Balham, Streatham Common, Norbury, Thornton Heath, Selhurst, West Croydon, Waddon, Wallington, Carshalton Beeches, Sutton, Belmont, Banstead and Epsom Downs only.

London Victoria and West Croydon via Crystal Palace

Two trains per hour will run between London Victoria and West Croydon, calling at London Victoria, Battersea Park, Clapham Junction, Balham, Streatham Hill, West Norwood, Gipsy Hill, Crystal Palace, Norwood Junction and West Croydon only.

London Bridge and Tattenham Corner

Two trains per hour will run between London Bridge and Tattenham Corner, calling at London Bridge, East Croydon, South Croydon, Purley Oaks, Reedham, Coulsdon Town, Woodmansterne, Chipstead, Kingswood, Tadworth and Tattenham Corner only.

18 and 20 August: Services between St Pancras International and Bedford

St Pancras International and Bedford

Two trains per hour will run between St Pancras International and Bedford, calling at St Pancras International, West Hampstead Thameslink, St Albans City, Harpenden, Luton Airport Parkway, Luton, Leagrave, Harlington, Flitwick and Bedford only.

St Pancras International and Luton

Two trains per hour will run between St Pancras International and Luton, calling at St Pancras International, Kentish Town, West Hampstead Thameslink, Cricklewood, Hendon, Mill Hill Broadway, Elstree & Borehamwood, Radlett, St Albans City, Harpenden, Luton Airport Parkway, Luton.

18 and 20 August: Services between King’s Cross and Peterborough / Cambridge / Ely

King’s Cross and Ely

One train per hour will run between King’s Cross and Ely, calling at King’s Cross, Finsbury Park, Potters Bar, Hatfield, Welwyn Garden City, Welwyn North, Knebworth, Stevenage, Hitchin, Letchworth Garden City, Baldock, Ashwell & Morden, Royston, Meldreth, Shepreth, Foxton, Cambridge, Cambridge North, Waterbeach, Ely only.

Cambridge and Ely

In addition to the above, one train per hour will run between Cambridge and Ely, calling at Cambridge, Cambridge North, Waterbeach and Ely only.

King’s Cross and Cambridge

One train per hour will run between King’s Cross and Cambridge, calling at King’s Cross, Finsbury Park, Stevenage, Hitchin, Letchworth Garden City, Baldock, Ashwell & Morden, Royston and Cambridge only.

King’s Cross and Peterborough

Two trains per hour will run between King’s Cross and Peterborough, calling at King’s Cross, Finsbury Park, Stevenage, Hitchin, Arlesey, Biggleswade, Sandy, St Neots, Huntingdon and Peterborough only.

King’s Cross and Welwyn Garden City

Two trains per hour will run between King’s Cross and Welwyn Garden City, calling at King’s Cross, Finsbury Park, Harringay, Hornsey, Alexandra Palace, New Southgate, Oakleigh Park, New Barnet, Hadley Wood, Potters Bar, Brookmans Park, Welham Green, Hatfield and Welwyn Garden City only.

King’s Cross and Stevenage via Hertford North

Two trains per hour will run between King’s Cross and Stevenage, calling at King’s Cross, Finsbury Park, Harringay, Hornsey, Alexandra Palace, Bowes Park, Palmers Green, Winchmore Hill, Grange Park, Enfield Chase, Gordon Hill, Crews Hill, Cuffley, Bayford, Hertford North, Watton-at-Stone and Stevenage only.

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For more information, contact the press office on 0203 750 2031.

Govia Thameslink Railway

Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR) operates Thameslink, Great Northern, Southern and Gatwick Express services as follows:

  • Thameslink – cross-London services between Bedford/Peterborough/Cambridge and Brighton/Horsham/Littlehampton/East Grinstead, and between Luton/St Albans and Sutton/Wimbledon/Rainham; plus services between London and Sevenoaks
  • Great Northern – services between London and Welwyn, Hertford, Peterborough, Cambridge and King’s Lynn
  • Southern – services between London and the Sussex coast (Brighton, Worthing, Eastbourne, Bognor Regis, Hastings) and parts of Surrey, Kent and Hampshire (Ashford International, Southampton, Portsmouth)
  • Gatwick Express – fast, non-stop direct services between Gatwick Airport and London Victoria

www.southernrailway.comwww.thameslinkrailway.comwww.gatwickexpress.comwww.greatnorthernrail.com

Govia Thameslink Railway
United Kingdom