Passengers warned to only travel if absolutely necessary as more train strikes hit Milton Keynes Central

    Network Rail are warning passengers to only travel by train if absolutely necessary between today (5/10) and Saturday (8/10), as more coordinated strike action is set to take place.

    Due to national industrial action, Network Rail warn passengers that they will experience significant disruption on Wednesday 5 October and Saturday 8 October.

    Today (5/10), there will be a very limited service with no services at all in some places.

    A National Rail spokesperson explained: "As was the case for ‘strike days’ in June, July and August, thousands of specially-trained and fully qualified back-up staff will step in during the walkouts to keep vital services running for those who need them.

    "A walkout by train drivers across 14 operators on Wednesday 5 October will mean disruption for passengers on those routes.

    "The operators impacted are Avanti West Coast, Chiltern Railways, CrossCountry, East Midlands Railway, Greater Anglia, Great Western Railway, Heathrow Express, Hull Trains, LNER, London Overground, Northern Trains, Southeastern, TransPennine Express and West Midlands Trains."

    Andrew Haines, Network Rail chief executive, said: “We want to give our employees a decent pay rise. It isn’t fair to ask taxpayers or passengers to fund this so we must fund it ourselves, which is achievable if the unions work with us to modernise and run the railway more efficiently.

    “Our latest offer – an 8% pay rise over two years with other benefits – is affordable from within our own budget, but the RMT refuses to allow its members to vote on it. The decision by unions to strike again serves only to prolong disruption for passengers, undermine the railway’s recovery from the pandemic and ensure railway staff forgo even more of their pay unnecessarily.

    “Our efforts to avert this disruption have unfortunately been in vain, so we’re asking passengers to only travel if absolutely necessary on strike days. Those who must travel should expect disruption and make sure they check when their last train will depart.”

    You can find the timetable and more information here.

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