Sussex travel: Warning over major disruption on railway line with two RMT strike days planned

RMT members at Network Rail and UK train operators are striking on Thursday (August 18) and Saturday (August 20).

Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR), which operates Southern, Gatwick Express and Thameslink services, have warned that trains will start late (7.30am or later) and finish earlier (from as early as 4.30pm to 6.30pm), with no alternative travel available.

People are being asked to only travel ‘if your journey is absolutely necessary’. They are also being urged to delay travel until later on the mornings after the planned strike days.

GTR will be running the same service plan as for the last strikes in July.

People have been warned that ‘very few trains will run’, with no service at all on ‘many lines south of London’.

Crowding is expected, ‘particularly on first and last trains’.

A GTR spokesperson said: “We advise you to only travel if absolutely necessary and expect severe disruption.

“The railway will operate limited opening hours with services starting later than normal and finishing in the late afternoon.

"Please check your first and last trains carefully, as there will be no alternative travel outside of these services.”

On the two strike days, two trains will run per hour between London Victoria and Brighton, calling at London Victoria, Clapham Junction, East Croydon, Gatwick Airport and Brighton only.

Two trains per hour will run between London Bridge and Brighton, calling at London Bridge, East Croydon, Gatwick Airport, Three Bridges, Balcombe, Haywards Heath, Wivelsfield, Burgess Hill, Hassocks, Preston Park and Brighton only.

Two trains per hour will run between London Bridge and Gatwick Airport, calling at London Bridge, Norwood Junction, East Croydon, Redhill, Earlswood, Salfords, Horley and Gatwick Airport only.

Two trains per hour will run between London Bridge and Three Bridges, calling at London Bridge, Norwood Junction, East Croydon, Coulsdon South, Merstham, Redhill, Horley, Gatwick Airport and Three Bridges only.

Two trains per hour will run between Brighton and Hove only.

Gatwick Express will also not operate although the airport will have a ‘limited Southern and Thameslink service’.

A spokesperson added: “Services will also start later the morning after each strike, with an amended Sunday service set to run on Friday, August 19.

"Morning trains are likely to be very busy. Customers are recommended to travel later, plan their journeys and check again before travelling.”

GTR said it has been in touch with local stakeholders, including hospitals, to notify them of the impact of the RMT strike action.

Angie Doll, GTR’s chief operating officer, said: “We’re very sorry that our strong advice to passengers is to travel by rail only if absolutely necessary on Thursday, August 18 and Saturday, August 20.

"Strike action by RMT members means train services across the country will be significantly limited once again, with many routes not running at all.

“Services for the whole period between August 18 and 21 will also start much later in the morning than usual, so please travel later in the day if you can.

"First trains will be extremely busy and therefore you may not be able to board. Trains on strike days will also finish as early as 4.30pm so please plan ahead if you absolutely have to travel on these days.

“We’re so disappointed that rail disruption due to strikes is affecting our passengers again. We urge the RMT to work with the industry and come to a resolution.”

Striking signallers at Network Rail will have the ‘greatest impact on the service’, leading GTR to ‘focus on providing a service on its busiest mainline routes only’.

Andrew Haines, Network Rail chief executive, said: “It saddens me that we are again having to ask passengers to stay away from the railway for two days next week due to unnecessary strike action, when we should be helping them enjoy their summers.

“We’ll run as many services as we can next Thursday and Saturday, but it will only be around a fifth of the usual timetable, so please only travel if absolutely necessary and if you must travel, plan ahead and check when your last train will be.”

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