No train services on two Barnet rail lines during May strike action

There’s no hope of catching a Thameslink or Great Northern train in the borough on Tuesday 7th May

Fresh rail strikes will again hit services on several key routes through North London next week.

There will be no trains serving Enfield, Barnet and Haringey throughout Tuesday, 7th May, along routes operated by Thameslink, Great Northern and Greater Anglia.

However, London Overground and tube services will still be running – while likely being far busier than usual.

The industrial action is the latest in the long-running dispute between trade union Aslef and the bosses of the rail operating companies.

As well as the strike day itself on Tuesday, there will be an amended timetable in place from Monday (6th) until Saturday (11th) thanks to a nationwide ban on overtime.

Jenny Saunders, customer services director at Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR) – which runs both Thameslink services through Barnet and Haringey as well as Great Northern services through Barnet, Haringey and Enfield – said: “With the bank holiday weekend fast approaching, we’re urging people to plan ahead because, regrettably, industrial action by the Aslef union will impact train journeys.

“The majority of our services won’t be running on Tuesday 7th May, and this is in addition to planned engineering works during the bank holiday weekend, followed by an overtime ban from Monday 6th May.

“If you’re planning to travel by train next week, please check your journey online. We’re really sorry if the disruption will affect your plans.”

During the overtime ban period, GTR will be running an amended timetable with fewer services overall. This offers customers more certainty, with fewer on-the-day alterations. Trains running in the overtime ban will be much busier than usual, especially at peak times.

It’s a similar situation for Greater Anglia, which runs trains through eastern Enfield and Tottenham. Jamie Burles, Greater Anglia’s managing director, said: “Unfortunately, on Tuesday 7th May, no services will run at all on most Greater Anglia routes.

“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 and train services will start later than normal on Wednesday 8th May.

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“Please note that an extensive engineering works programme will also take place on Monday 6th May and Saturday 11th May. This work is extremely important to help maintain the safe and reliable running of the railway and make it fit for the future. A rail replacement service will run while the work takes place.

“We are sorry for any inconvenience caused by these service alterations and advise customers to plan ahead and check before they travel.”

Justifying the strike action, Aslef general secretary Mick Whelan said: “Our members voted overwhelmingly – yet again – for strike action. Those votes show – yet again – a clear rejection by train drivers of the ridiculous offer put to us in April last year by the Rail Delivery Group which knew that offer would be rejected because a land grab for all the terms and conditions we have negotiated over the years would never be accepted by our members.

“Since then train drivers have voted, time and again, to take action in pursuit of a pay rise.”

A spokesperson for Rail Delivery Group, which represents rail operators, said: “Aslef’s leadership need to recognise the financial challenge facing rail. Drivers have been made an offer which would take base salaries to nearly £65,000 for a four-day week before overtime – that is well above the national average and significantly more than many of our customers that have no option to work from home are paid.

“Instead of staging more damaging industrial action, we call on the Aslef leadership to work with us to resolve this dispute and deliver a fair deal which both rewards our people, and makes the changes needed to make services more reliable.”

For more information about Greater Anglia services during the strikes:
Visit greateranglia.co.uk/strikes

For more information about Great Northern and Thameslink services during the strikes:
Visit thameslinkrailway.com/travel-information/plan-your-journey/industrial-action

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