All the Greater Anglia train cancellations and alterations for …
More trains provided by Greater Anglia are having to be altered or cancelled due to fresh strikes in the long-running dispute over pay, jobs and conditions involving rail worker unions.
The Rail, Maritime and Transport union (RMT) said 20,000 of its members in 14 train operators would walk out on August 26 and September 2. Aslef, the union for train drivers, meanwhile, will walk out on September 1 and ban overtime on September 2.
The RMT say they have been left with "little choice" but to take further action as it had seen no improved or revised offer from the Rail Delivery Group. Aslef says their strike will force train companies across England to cancel all services, while the ban on overtime will “seriously disrupt” the network.
The union maintains that none of the privatised train-operating companies employs enough drivers to provide a “proper service” without drivers working on their days off. It will be the 12th one-day strike by Aslef members since the dispute started over a year ago.
The Rail Delivery Group advised passengers that due to the RMT strikes there will be reduced services across the rail network on August 26 and September 2. The rail unions are also campaigning against controversial plans to close most railway ticket offices. More than 300,000 people have responded to a consultation, which ends on September 1.
A statement said: “Train companies are doing all they can to keep passengers moving, but those travelling during that period are advised to plan ahead and check before they travel.
“RMT union members such as station staff, train managers, and catering staff will participate in the strikes, causing some disruption to travel plans.
“As the level of disruption will vary across the country, passengers are advised to check their travel arrangements in advance. We expect that more than half of the service will be running across the country.”
What Greater Anglia trains are affected by strikes on August 26 and September 2?
Trains will be running across the company’s network between 07:00 and 23:00 (or until 19.00 in the case of three routes on 26 August), with many routes having a normal or near normal service between those hours. Some routes will have a reduced frequency and certain routes will see no services at all.
The services which will not run at all, on both days, are as follows:
- Ipswich – Felixstowe
- Colchester - Walton-on-the-Naze via Colchester Town
- Bishop’s Stortford – Stratford
- Hertford East - London Liverpool Street
- Meridian Water – Stratford
Customers are also advised that on Saturday 26 August, the following services will run between 07:00 and 19:00 only:
- Cambridge to London Liverpool Street
- Ipswich to Cambridge
- Norwich to Stansted Airport
However, these three services will operate between 07:00 and 23:00 on Saturday 2 September. Some services are also affected by engineering works on both dates.
On Saturday 26 August engineering works will affect Great Eastern Main Line services, with rail replacement buses running between Witham and Ingatestone.
On Saturday 2 September, mainline services between Norwich and Ipswich, and regional services between Ipswich and Cambridge/ Peterborough, are also affected by engineering works.
What Greater Anglia trains are impacted by strikes on September 1?
As the strike for 1 September has only recently been announced, service plans are being worked on for that day. However, it is likely that only a very reduced service will operate, for reduced hours, and probably only on the Norwich to London, Colchester to London, Southend to London and Stansted Airport to London routes. Further details will be provided as soon as they are confirmed.
On all days affected by industrial action, there is a risk of short-notice service alterations or cancellations. Services on the days after strike days also start slightly later than normal. Other train operators are also affected by both sets of industrial action.
Passenger assistance arrangements will be available as usual on all days, but anyone requiring assistance should plan their journey and book assistance in advance if possible.
Jamie Burles, Greater Anglia’s managing director, said: "With industrial action taking place, on 26 August and 2 September there will be some alterations and cancellations across our network, plus some routes where no trains will run at all, while on 1 September it is expected that trains only will operate on four routes, with no services at all on the rest of the network.
"We are sorry for any inconvenience caused by these service alterations and advise customers to plan ahead and check before they travel."
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