Rail unions are holding three national rail strikes, leading to substantial disruption on the forthcoming weekends, and also the middle of next week.

All three main rail unions, ASLEF, RMT and TSSA are striking, but on different days, and also with different train companies, so the impact will vary, but this coming Saturday will be the worst when all three unions strike together.

  • Saturday 1st October – ASLEF, RMT and TSSA
  • Wednesday 5th October – ASLEF
  • Thursday 6th October – TSSA
  • Saturday 8th October – RMT and TSSA

It has been noted that the biggest strike, this Saturday is also the day before the Conservative Party conference opens in Birmingham, where lots of members are expected to need to travel. It’s also the eve of the London Marathon. The second strike on Wednesday coincides with when Conservative Party members are wanting to go home after their conference ends.

In general, apart from the strike action on the day itself, there may be fewer late night trains the day before, and services will also start later on the day after the strike – typically with first trains rarely before 7:30am.

The RMT strikes involve National Rail signal staff, so their impact on the Saturdays is also generally wider than ASLEF or TSSA strikes.

Most of the train companies that can run services will focus staff on the main intercity and priority local routes, but there will be considerable disruption, so people are advised to avoid travelling if possible. If you need to travel, especially long distances, try to ensure you have a reserved seat with your ticket.

Saturday 1st October

  • Network Rail – RMT
  • Avanti West Coast – ASLEF, TSSA, RMT
  • C2C – RMT
  • Chiltern Railways – ASLEF, RMT
  • Crosscountry – ASLEF, RMT
  • Greater Anglia – ASLEF, RMT
  • Great Northern – RMT
  • Great Western Railway (GWR) – ASLEF, RMT
  • Hull Trains – ASLEF
  • East Midlands Railway – TSSA, RMT
  • LNER – ASLEF, TSSA, RMT
  • London Overground – ASLEF
  • Northern – ASLEF, RMT
  • SouthEastern – ASLEF, TSSA, RMT
    South Western – TSSA, RMT
  • Southern – RMT
  • Transpennine Express – ASLEF, TSSA, RMT
  • West Midlands Trains – ASLEF, TSSA, RMT
  • Thameslink – RMT

Wednesday 5th October

  • Avanti West Coast – ASLEF
  • Chiltern Railways – ASLEF
  • CrossCountry  – ASLEF, TSSA
  • Greater Anglia – ASLEF
  • Great Western Railway – ASLEF
  • Hull Trains – ASLEF
  • LNER – ASLEF
  • London Overground – ASLEF
  • Northern Trains – ASLEF
  • Southeastern – ASLEF
  • TransPennine Express – ASLEF
  • West Midlands Trains – ASLEF

Thursday 6th October

  • Great Western Railway (GWR) – TSSA

Saturday 8th October

  • Network Rail – RMT
  • Avanti West Coast – RMT, TSSA
  • C2C – RMT, TSSA
  • Chiltern Railways – RMT
  • Crosscountry – RMT
  • Greater Anglia – RMT
  • Great Northern – RMT
  • Great Western Railway (GWR) – RMT
  • East Midlands Railway – RMT
  • LNER – RMT
  • London Overground – ASLEF
  • Northern – RMT
  • SouthEastern – RMT
    South Western – RMT
  • Southern – RMT
  • Transpennine Express – RMT
  • West Midlands Trains – RMT
  • Thameslink – RMT
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16 comments
  1. Simon Stevens says:

    I’d sack the lot of them . Your hurting honest hard working citizens with zero benefit . Don’t they realise we have just had 2 years of covid and working from home , another couple of days has zero impact . Start taking the costs to the country off any strikers potential rise.

    • ianVisits says:

      So you’ve sacked all the people working on the trains — so who drives the trains, operates the signals, maintains them etc?

    • ChrisC says:

      “Sack them all” is the lazy and ignorant response.

      It takes approx a year to fully train a driver. And similar for a signaller.

      There isn’t a Shapps Army of agency train drivers ready to step in and replace all the drivers you’ve sacked and run any sort of useable service.

      That’s if you can find enough people willing to go work for an employer who discards its staff so easily.

    • Ursula says:

      You not very bright are you ?! As much inconvenience it causes for me and everyone else I will always support for people who work to revive decent wage and working conditions!!!! Anyone who goes to work should have good salary and not wonder how they make they ends meet!

  2. Maurice Reed says:

    Off Topic but:-

    Bus strike in London called off after revised pay offer.

  3. Steve says:

    Train drivers are never happy whatever the outcome and another strike is just around the corner. No thought for the public at all so absolutely no sympathy for anyone who strikes as it has gone on too long. Imagine if important people doing important jobs such as the police, fire brigade or nurses went on strike as often as train drivers, especially given that most are paid less and do a far more important job. You drive a train for gods sake, you are not rocket scientists!

  4. Gilly says:

    Imagine Nurses and Doctors would go on strike

  5. Anselm Dee says:

    They have to remember that train travel is down 60% post Covid and a lot of long distance business travellers are not put out by working from home instead.
    If Train drivers are asking for an inflation busting pay rise ( merited or not) then they should also accept 60% of the drivers could be made redundant due to lack of demand.

  6. Brian says:

    Train Drivers are already earning in excess of 60k a year so why they striking, its all about me me me is why,

    • ianVisits says:

      How much do the signal men earn? How about the cleaners, the guards, the maintenance staff? How much do they earn?

  7. Jon says:

    You’re right, Ian. Train drivers should share the wealth to their lesser paid colleagues.

  8. EM says:

    I have a flight coming into Gatwick on Wed 5th – can’t be changed at this time. Any suggestions for getting into Central London from Gatwick. I had a train ticket with reservation booked, but not sure what happens now?

  9. EM says:

    thanks for that. I have checked southern and the information there is quite confusing. They are still selling tickets for the train that I’m booked on and then it says

    “Industrial Action to affect services on 5 October.
    An extremely reduced service will run. Journey Planners are correct for this strike day.”

    So does that mean the train will run or not run? and if I have a ticket and reservation am I guaranteed my seat?

  10. EM says:

    to add to the above advice to contact the train company their website says
    “Contact us online
    Use our online form below and we’ll get back to you as soon as possible – we aim to respond within five working days, but at very busy periods it may take us up to 20 working days.”

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