RMT industrial action affects GTR for entire festive period, with early shutdown on Christmas Eve

• Travel only if absolutely necessary on Christmas Eve when services stop operating from lunchtime ahead of UK rail shutdown
• Overtime ban and other strike action also affecting rail services from now until 8 January
• Passengers urged to plan ahead

Passengers with Gatwick Express, Great Northern, Southern and Thameslink are being warned, regrettably, to travel only if absolutely necessary on Christmas Eve when trains will stop running as early as 12 noon because of national RMT strike action at Network Rail.

People who have no choice but to travel are strongly advised to check their whole journey, especially if it includes other train operators.

Trains do not normally run on Christmas Day or Boxing Day (with a few exceptions) and they won’t resume until as late as midday the day after, on 27 December. Passengers on this day should check train times carefully, and plan ahead.

Unfortunately, as a result of the industrial action, customers should also expect:

• Late-notice changes and cancellations to services from now until 2 January, due to a national overtime ban at train companies by the RMT union – check before you travel
• Limited services, late starts and early finishes on 3 & 4 and 6 & 7 Januarydue to RMT national strikes at Network Rail and train companies – please only travel if absolutely necessary on these days – see strike days service map
• On days after these strikes (5 and 8 January), services will restart later, at around 7.15/7.30am - check your individual trains online.

Angie Doll, Chief Operating Officer at Govia Thameslink Railway which operates all four train companies, said: “We’re really sorry for the disruption this ongoing RMT action will cause our customers over the entire festive period, until 8 January.

“We urge our customers not to travel unless absolutely necessary on Christmas Eve, as services will finish much earlier than usual across the country, with last trains departing at around 12 noon on many of our routes.

“Trains won’t restart until as late as midday on the 27th. We understand this is going to make life difficult for many, and urge you to make alternative arrangements if you must travel.

“Unfortunately, trains may also be subject to late notice change on non-strike days, due to a national overtime ban. Therefore, our strong advice is to always check your journey before setting off, allow extra time for travel and don’t wait to catch the last train home if possible.”

Andrew Haines, Network Rail chief executive, said: “I am so sorry that our passengers are having to bear the brunt of the RMT’s needless strike when a fair offer is on the table and when only a third of the workforce have rejected it. Our offer guarantees jobs and gives everyone a decent pay-rise of 9% and more. Two of our three trade unions have already accepted and the RMT needs to think again.”

Customer information

Revised train times will start appearing in online journey planners such as National Rail Enquiries on 20 December for 24 December and 22 December for 27 December.

Train times for strike days from 3 January are online now. Customers should double-check their journey each day before setting off, including the return journey.

For details on tickets and compensation during this period please visit train company websites. Pre-planned engineering work over the period will also impact some services, particularly into Victoria (view information about Victoria closures).

ends

Editors’ notes

27 December (day after Boxing Day):

Services will start much later than normal. Please check the information for your station for the first train times of the day – in some areas these won't be until midday, but as a guide see below:

• Bedford - London approx. 9.45am
• King’s Lynn / Cambridge / Peterborough - London approx. 10am
• Southern & Thameslink routes south of London approx. 12noon – Please note there will be no Thameslink services via Catford (including Elephant & Castle) or Wimbledon/Sutton (including Loughborough Junction) - see below

The different times that certain sections of the network reopen means Thameslink will be split with no cross-London trains between St Pancras and London Bridge all day. This, and engineering work, means there will be no Thameslink services via Catford to Kent (including Elephant & Castle) or Wimbledon/Sutton (including Loughborough Junction). Ongoing engineering work will also see Victoria will be shut as part of a sustained improvement programme of improvements.

Pre-planned changes throughout the entire festive period will be reflected in online journey planners such as nationalrail.co.uk, but you can also find out more information on the national rail engineering pages