London Underground walkout hangover to compound Thursday’s rail strike – but can you get to work tomorrow?
Members of the Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) union will walk out on Thursday 16 March and on Saturday 18 March in a dispute affecting train services in and out of London.
Network Rail expects between 40 and 50 per cent of train services to run nationally but there will be wide variation across the network.
London Underground – While there is no strike on 16 March, there is routinely delays on the day after industrial action. Transport for London advise Londoners there may be delays after Wednesday’s budget-day strikes.
TFL’s website says “Tube services will be recovering from the strike on Wednesday 15 March. There is also a national rail strike today. Check before you travel for the latest information.”
A number of stations will also be closed as a result.
During today’s underground strike, millions of Brits used alternative including buses, Uber, Bolt and even the Thames Clipper, which is run by Uber.
In wake of the pandemic, Thursday has seen a significant drop in the number of people coming into the office, with more having a hybrid approach to working at home.
What train services within Greater London
Elizabeth Line – Starts later than normal on Thursday following today’s tube strike
London Overground – normal service
Thameslink and Great Northern
On Thursday and Saturday, two trains per hour will run between St Pancras and Bedford, stopping at West Hampstead, St Albans, Harpenden, Luton Airport Parkway, Luton, Leagrave, Harlington, Filtwick and Bedford only.
On both days, two additional trains per hour will run between St Pancras and Luton, stopping at stations in north-west London.
On Thursday, one train per hour will run between King’s Cross and each of Ely and Cambridge and two trains per hour will run between King’s Cross and each of Peterborough, Stevenage and Welwyn Garden City. These will stop at the usual stations. Services stop much earlier than normal, with the last Thameslink train to Ely leaving at 03.27 pm on Thursday.
Saturday trains will not serve Ely, but they will serve Cambridge, Peterborough, Stevenage and Welwyn Garden City as above. Trains will stop earlier than usual, with the last to Cambridge leaving King’s Cross at 08.02 pm on Saturday.
Southern and Thameslink
Say “most trains will run between approx 07.00 am and 07.00 pm” on Thursday and Saturday. Trains run less often on Thursday but still serve Brighton, Gatwick Airport, Three Bridges and south London from both London Bridge and Victoria.
No trains will run on Saturday from Victoria due to engineering works, but they will run from London Bridge with a reduced service.
Gatwick Express
Two trains per hour will run direct between Victoria and Gatwick Airport on Thursday. No trains will run on Saturday due to engineering works. Services will start and finish ‘much earlier than normal’.
Heathrow Express
Trains will stop earlier than usual on Thursday and Saturday, with the last train from Paddington departing at 6.10 pm on both days.
Stansted Express
On Thursday, two trains will run every half hour between 08.10 am and 05.40 pm from Liverpool Street. On Saturday, trains will run between approximately 07.00 am and 11.00 pm.
Crosscountry travel
Avanti West Coast
There are plans to run’ one train per hour in both directions between Euston and each of Birmingham, Liverpool, Manchester and Preston on both Thursday and Saturday. Trains will start after 07.30 am and the last will leave Euston just after 04.00 pm on both days.
Caledonian Sleeper: Normal service
East Midlands Railway
One train per hour will run in each direction between St Pancras and each of Corby, Nottingham and Sheffield on Thursday. On Saturday, London trains will stop at Kettering and not continue onward to Nottingham or Sheffield. One train per hour will serve Corby from St Pancras. Trains will start after 07.30 am and the last departure will leave London before 4.30 pm on both Thursday and Saturday.
Grand Central
Slightly fewer trains will run from Kings Cross to Bradford and no trains will stop at Hartlepool on Thursday. Trains will run near normal on Saturday.
Great Western
Only “a very limited service” will operate on both Thursday and Saturday. Journeys must be completed by 07.30 pm on Thursday and 06.30 pm on Saturday, but all major destinations will be served.
London North Eastern Railway
Last trains from King’s Cross to Edinburgh, Newcastle, York and Leeds leave at 1.00 pm, 2.30 pm, 4.30 pm and 3.05 pm respectively on Thursday. The first train leaves King’s Cross at 07.30 am.
On Saturday, the first train leaves King’s Cross at 07.30 am and the last (to York) at 04.30 pm on Saturday. The last services to Leeds and Edinburgh leave respectively at 04.05 pm and 12.30 pm on Saturday.
Eastward
c2c
Trains will start later on Thursday following today’s tube strike. 12 carriage trains will not stop at Limehouse on either Thursday or Saturday.
Greater Anglia
On Thursday, hourly services will run in both directions from Liverpool Street to Southminster, Southend, Colchester, Norwich, Cambridge, Clacton and Stansted Airport. Last trains from London will leave between 15.37 pm (to Southminster) and 21.38 pm (to Colchester).
Trains will be near normal on Saturday.
South Eastern
On both Thursday and Saturday trains will serve only London, Sevenoaks, Ebbsfleet International and Ashford International. No trains will stop in the Kent countryside.
First trains leave London Bridge from 08.04 am and Victoria from 07.16 am on both strike days. Trains will stop operating between 16.35 am and 18.23 pm on both Thursday and Saturday.
Westward
Chiltern Railways
One train per hour will run in each direction between Marylebone and each of Oxford, Banbury and Aylesbury. No trains will run north of Banbury on both Thursday and Saturday. Trains will leave after 08.00 am and the last services will leave Marylebone before 03.00 pm on both days.
South Western Railway
Advises passengers to travel only “if absolutely necessary” on Thursday and Saturday, with the first and last trains leaving Waterloo after 07.00 am and before 18.30 pm on both days.
A maximum of four trains per hour will run on Thursday, between Waterloo and each of Woking and Windsor & Eton Riverside. Trains to neither Portsmouth nor Dorking will run, but terminate at Guildford on both days.
On Saturday, trains from Waterloo will stop at Hounslow and not continue to Windsor & Eton Riverside.