Latest round of rail strikes will again see several Enfield railway stations completely closed and others severely impacted, reports James Cracknell
Rail services in Enfield will again be severely hit by strike action in October, when there are three separate walkouts planned by different trade unions.
Members of the train drivers’ union ASLEF are striking on Saturday 1st and Wednesday 5th October. RMT members – including conductors, train cleaners, station staff and Network Rail’s signallers and maintenance teams – will also strike on Saturday 1st, with an additional day of industrial action planned by RMT on Saturday 8th October.
The four stations in eastern Enfield served by Greater Anglia trains (Enfield Lock, Brimsdown, Ponders End, Meridian Water) will be closed on all three strike days.
Jamie Burles, Greater Anglia managing director said: “We are very sorry that once again our customers will be disrupted by strikes.
“The rail industry is working hard to resolve these disputes and talks will continue with ASLEF and RMT in an effort to avert the strikes.”
Great Northern, which runs rail services at eight Enfield stations (Crews Hill, Gordon Hill, Enfield Chase, Grange Park, Winchmore Hill and Palmers Green on the Hertford Loop Line; Hadley Wood and New Southgate on the East Coast Main Line) will be running around one-in-five of its timetabled trains on the two Saturday strike days, with severe crowding expected. Trains also won’t start until 7.30am and will finish early, between 4.30pm and 6.30pm.
Great Northern services should run as normal on Wednesday 5th but will be much busier than usual.
Angie Doll, chief operating officer at Govia Thameslink Railway, which owns the Great Northern franchise, said: “It is with much regret that we have to advise our passengers to travel only if absolutely necessary on Saturdays 1st and 8th October. Strike action means train services across the country will be significantly limited, with many routes not running at all.”
London Overground, which runs rail services at six borough stations (Turkey Street, Southbury, Enfield Town, Bush Hill Park, Edmonton Green, Silver Street), will be running a reduced timetable on Saturday 1st and Wednesday 5th and could also be impacted by the Saturday 8th strike day. Full details of the service levels expected on these days will be confirmed later on the TfL website.
Anyone who has pre-booked tickets to travel on strike days can change them, use them to travel on either the day before or up to two days later, or apply for a refund by going back to their original retailer.
Passengers are also warned that rail services on the days following strikes will be slow to resume to their normal timetables.
London Underground services will be unaffected by the October strikes.
For more information about the upcoming industrial action:
Visit nationalrail.co.uk/service_disruptions/306355.aspx
Update (28/9):
TfL has confirmed that no London Overground services will run on Saturday, 1st October and Wednesday, 5th October. A reduced service between 8am and 6pm will run on Saturday, 8th October.
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