Are trains running tomorrow? What the Aslef rail strike on Wednesday 31 May means for every operator involved

Rail passengers are set to face further disruption this week with both the RMT and drivers’ union Aslef launching fresh strike action.

Walkouts have become a regular occurrence on Britain’s railways as the bitter pay disputes that have been running since last summer continue.

When are the national rail strikes?

Members of Aslef have announced plans to strike on Wednesday 31 May and Saturday 3 June – the day Manchester City and Manchester United meet at Wembley for the FA Cup final.

The RMT strike will be the day before the final, on Friday 2 June, and will involve 20,000 catering, station staff and train managers working for 14 companies, affecting train services throughout the country.

How will trains be affected?

National Rail said “passengers are warned to expect significant disruption as it is likely to result in little or no services across large areas of the network” on strike days, adding: “Services are also likely to be disrupted and start later on the day immediately following a strike day.”

For journeys on 31 May, you can check your journey using the National Rail journey planner. For the other strike dates, the journey planner will be updated closer to the time.

Here’s what each operator is saying about the strike action:

Avanti West Coast

No service on 31 May and 3 June. Significantly reduced service on 2 June.

c2c (2 June only)

Twelve-carriage trains will not stop at Limehouse.

Chiltern Railways

No service on 31 May and 3 June.

Limited service on 1 June and very limited service on 2 June operating between approximately 8am and 10pm, as follows:

• One train per hour between Marylebone and stations to Banbury
• One train per hour between Marylebone and stations to Oxford
• One train per hour between Marylebone and stations to Aylesbury
• One train per hour between Amersham and stations to Aylesbury Vale Parkway

No service between Banbury and stations to Birmingham and Stourbridge Junction, and between Hatton and stations to Stratford Upon Avon.

CrossCountry

No service on 31 May and 3 June. Significantly reduced service on 2 June.

Find full information here.

East Midlands Railway

No service on 31 May and 3 June. Significantly reduced service on 2 June operating between 7.30am and 6.30pm, as follows:

• One train per hour between Nottingham and London St Pancras
• One train per hour between Derby and London St Pancras
• One train per hour between Corby and London St Pancras
• One train per hour between Derby and Nottingham
• One train per hour between Sheffield and Nottingham
• One train per hour between Leicester and Lincoln (stopping service)
• One train per hour between Mansfield Woodhouse and Nottingham
• Two-hourly service between Nottingham and Skegness (only calling at Grantham, Sleaford, Boston and Skegness)

Gatwick Express

No service on 31 May and 3 June. On 2 June most routes via Gatwick Airport will finish in the early afternoon.

Great Northern

No service on 31 May and 3 June. On 2 June services will be limited across the network, with a later start, an early shut down and no service in some locations. 

Great Western Railway

On 31 May a very limited service will run between 7.30am and 6.30pm, only on the following routes between:

• London Paddington and Bristol Temple Meads
• Reading and Didcot (with replacement bus services operating between Didcot and Oxford)
• Reading and Basingstoke
• Reading and Redhill (peak time only)
• Reading and Newbury (peak time only)
• Westbury and Swindon (peak time only)
• Cardiff and Bristol (two-hourly)
• Exeter and Barnstaple (peak time only)
• Plymouth and Gunnislake
• Penzance and St Ives

On 2 June a very limited service will run between 7.30am and 6.30pm, only on the following routes between:

• London Paddington and Bristol Temple Meads
• London Paddington and Didcot
• London Paddington and Cardiff
• London Paddington and Plymouth (calling Pewsey, Westbury, Castle Cary)
• Gloucester and Swindon
• London Paddington and Bedwyn
• Greenford and West Ealing
• Slough and Windsor
• Maidenhead and Bourne End
• Twyford and Slough
• Reading and Basingstoke
• Oxford and Banbury
• Reading and Redhill
• Oxford and Didcot (replacement bus service)
• Cardiff and Westbury
• Bristol Temple Meads and Plymouth

On 3 June a very limited service will run between 7.30am and 6.30pm, only on the following routes between:

• London Paddington and Bristol
• Reading and Didcot (with replacement bus services operating between Didcot and Oxford)
• Reading and Basingstoke
• Reading and Redhill (peak time only)
• Reading and Newbury (peak time only)
• Westbury and Swindon (peak time only)
• Cardiff and Bristol (two-hourly)
• Exeter and Barnstaple
• Plymouth and Gunnislake
• Penzance and St Ives

Greater Anglia (including Stansted Express)

On 31 May most routes (including all regional lines) will have no service at all. A limited service will operate on the following routes:

• One train per hour between Norwich and London Liverpool Street
• One train per hour between Colchester and London Liverpool Street
• One train per hour between Southend Victoria and London Liverpool Street
• One train per hour between on Stansted Express services.
• One train every two hours between Cambridge and London Liverpool Street until early evening, with the last train from London back to Cambridge at 6.58pm

On 2 June trains will run from 7am, with all last trains reaching their destination by 11pm. Some routes will have a reduced frequency, but most routes will have a normal or near normal service during the hours that trains are running.

On 3 June most routes (including all regional lines and trains between Cambridge and London Liverpool Street) will have no service at all. Where services do run they are expected to start from 7am onwards, with all last trains operating until mid to late evening, and finishing earlier than normal.

Heathrow Express

On 31 May an hourly service will run between 7am and 7pm. There will be no service on 3 June.

LNER

Reduced service on all strike dates. Find information on first and last train times here.

London Northwestern Railway

No service on 31 May and 3 June. Limited service will operate on 2 June the following lines between 7am and 7pm, as follows:

• One train per hour between Birmingham and London Euston
• One train per hour between Northampton and London Euston
• One train per hour between Milton Keynes Central and London Euston
• One train per hour between Birmingham New Street and Liverpool Lime Street

Northern

No service on 31 May and 3 June. Limited service on 2 June – find full information here.

South Western Railway

On 31 May and 3 June there will be a reduced service between London Waterloo and Chessington South; Dorking; Hampton Court; London Waterloo via Hounslow; London Waterloo via Kingston; Reading; Shepperton; Twickenham; Weybridge; and Windsor and Eton Riverside. A shuttle service will operate between Basingstoke and Exeter St Davids. here will be no service on the Island Line.

A significantly reduced service will operate on a limited number of lines on 2 June, with much of the network closed. Find full timetables here.

Southeastern

No service on 31 May and 3 June. Limited service on 2 June – find full information here.

Southern

No service on 31 May and 3 June. On 2 June services will be limited across the network, with a later start, an early shut down and no service in some locations. 

Thameslink

No service on 31 May and 3 June. On 2 June services will be limited across the network, with a later start, an early shut down and no service in some locations. 

TransPennine Express

No service on 31 May and 3 June. On 2 June TransPennine Express is planning to operate services on the following routes:

• Manchester Piccadilly to York – five local services, four semi-fast services towards York; six local services, three semi-fast services towards Manchester Piccadilly
• Preston to Manchester Airport – five services in both directions
• Sheffield to Cleethorpes – five services in both directions

West Midlands Railway

No service on 31 May and 3 June. Very limited service on 2 June operating between 7am and 7pm on the following routes:

• One train per hour between Birmingham and London Euston
• One train per hour between Northampton and London Euston
• One train per hour between Milton Keynes Central and London Euston.
• One train per hour between Birmingham New Street and Liverpool Lime Street
• One train per hour between Birmingham New Street and Wolverhampton via local stations
• One train per hour between Birmingham New Street and Birmingham International via local stations
• One train per hour between Birmingham New Street and Rugeley Trent Valley
• One train per hour between Lichfield Trent Valley and Birmingham New Street
• Up to six trains per hour between Stourbridge Junction and Stourbridge Town
• Lichfield Trent Valley – Birmingham New Street – Redditch/Bromsgrove: one train per hour to/from Bromsgrove and one train per hour to/from Redditch
• Kidderminster – Birmingham Snow Hill – Whitlocks End/Dorridge: one train per hour to/from Whitlocks End and one train per hour to/from Dorridge

Can you get refunds for tickets?

If you have a ticket that is affected by the strike you will be able to use your ticket on an alternative day, or receive a fee-free refund.

• Tickets for Friday 12 May or Saturday 13 May can be used on Thursday 11 May or up to and including Tuesday 16 May.
• Tickets for Wednesday 31 May can be used on Tuesday 30 May or up to and including Monday 5 June.  
• Tickets for Friday 2 June or Saturday 3 June can be used on Thursday 1 June or up to and including Tuesday 6 June.