Bank Holiday rail strike: Significantly reduced Saturday services

Rail services will be significantly reduced by strike action Union this Bank Holiday Saturday and the following Saturday.

Train services across the UK will be disrupted due to thousands of members of the Rail, Maritime and Transport union (RMT) at 14 train operators striking in the long-running dispute over pay, jobs and conditions.

In addition to disruption from the latest RMT strike on Saturday, train services will be affected by Network Rail carrying out around 500 projects across Britain’s railways over the long weekend.

East Midlands Railway (EMR) – which operates services between Sheffield and London and across central England – said trains will only run between 6.30am and 6.30pm, with the last departures starting between 3pm and 4.30pm

Customers are being advised to travel by rail only if absolutely necessary during strike action, while travellers on Sunday, August 27 are being warned that EMR’s Intercity and Connect services are likely to be very busy due engineering works on the East Coast Mainline.

The RAC has warned it could contribute to congestion on the roads as it estimates that around 14.4 million leisure trips by car are planned for between Friday and Monday, which is the last bank holiday in England, Wales and Northern Ireland until Christmas Day.

EMR said if a customer’s train is cancelled or delayed or they choose not to travel due to strike action, tickets can be changed to another date, or they can be returned for a full refund at their point of purchase. No administration fee will be charged.

Meanwhile, holidaymakers heading out to Skegness have been told to continue to book their journey in advance –and if their train is cancelled they will be able to use their ticket on the service before or after.

Will Rogers, managing director of East Midlands Railway, said: “We will be significantly reducing our services on Saturday, August 26 and Saturday, September 2 due to industrial action by members of the RMT union.

“It is recommended that customers also check the departure time of their last train before embarking on their journey and familiarise themselves with the overall impact of the strike on their entire route.”