Train drivers’ industrial action plus engineering works means six days of disruption for Greater Anglia passengers
Industrial action by ASLEF train drivers combined with engineering works this weekend means six continuous days of disruption for Greater Anglia passengers.
The union members will strike on Monday (April 8), causing severe disruption to services, and action short of a strike will affect the timetable with some cancellations on Tuesday (April 9), as it did on Thursday, Friday and Saturday (April 4-6).
During Monday’s strike, a very limited service will operate on only five core routes and, with the exception of the Stansted Express, for a limited period.
Trains between London Liverpool Street and Stansted Airport will run hourly, with the first departures at 4.40am and 5.50am respectively. The last airport train for the capital will leave at 11.45pm with a final service to Stansted at 11.25pm.
There will be limited hourly trains serving Norwich, Colchester and Southend Victoria and one about every two hours between Cambridge and Liverpool Street for Stortford, Sawbridgeworth and Stansted passengers. The first train will leave Cambridge at 8.20am and the last at 5.20pm. At Liverpool Street, the first train on the West Anglia route will run at 9.58am with the last departure at 6.58pm.
Jamie Burles, Greater Anglia’s managing director, said: “Unfortunately, on [Monday], no services will run at all on most Greater Anglia routes, with just an hourly service during normal operating hours on the Stansted Airport to London route... plus a few services between Cambridge and Liverpool Street.
“On the days affected by action short of a strike, the vast majority of services will be running as normal, but there will be some alterations and cancellations across our network.”
An extensive engineering works programme was scheduled for this weekend (April 6-7), with a rail replacement service running on Saturday and Sunday.
The West Anglia line will be closed between Audley End and Cambridge all day on Saturday and Sunday in connection with construction work for the new Cambridge South station. Trains from Liverpool Street to Cambridge will start/terminate at Audley End, connecting into rail replacement bus services to/from Cambridge North. A frequent train service will operate between Cambridge North and Cambridge.
