Commuters face travel chaos for the rest of this week as the biggest rail strike in three decades begins.
Only a fifth of services across the country are operating with half of train lines closed, with thousands of members of Network Rail’s RMT union and 13 train operators pulling out today, Thursday and Saturday.
London Underground workers will also walk out today.
Rail companies have urged passengers to only travel if travel is absolutely necessary and to expect disruption for the rest of the week.
Services across Sussex will start from 7.15am, with the last trains finishing in the afternoon.
How is my trip affected today?
Express Gatwick
No services will operate on strike days, with passengers traveling to Gatwick airport able to use Southern or Thameslink services.
South East
Most stations and lines will be closed on strike days, and a “heavily reduced service” will operate elsewhere. No service will operate to or from London Victoria or Charing Cross, with the vast majority of its network in Kent and East Sussex closed, apart from the high-speed route to Ashford International.
From South
A large part of the network will be closed on strike days. Services will run on the main line from Brighton to London Bridge and London Victoria, with additional trains from Tattenham Corner, Epsom Downs, Sutton and West Croydon via Crystal Palace.
Thameslink
There will be far fewer trains than normal on strike days, with no services running between London St Pancras and London Bridge.
The chief operating officer of Govia Thameslink Railway, which operates Southern, Thameslink and Gatwick Express services, apologized to customers and said: “We are sorry to say that people should only travel by train between on 21 and 26 June if absolutely necessary due to a strike by RMT members of Network Rail and other rail companies.
“Unfortunately, there will be very little train service and some lines will be completely closed on strike days.
“The strikes are terrible for passengers, especially as the country begins to recover from the pandemic and return to rail.
“We urge the RMT to work with Network Rail and the rail operators to find a quick solution.”
Motorists have been warned to expect an increase in traffic as train passengers switch to road transport. The AA predicted that the most affected roads are likely to be major highway arteries, as well as rural and suburban areas.
Last-minute talks yesterday failed to resolve the dispute over wages, jobs and conditions, with both sides blaming each other for the lack of progress.
More about this article: Read More
Source: www.theargus.co.uk
This notice was published: 2022-06-21 05:32:13
