Southern plans for Strike
29 March 2010, 15:29 | Updated: 29 March 2010, 15:53
Train Operator Southern today announced the revised timetable it will be operating when signallers belonging to the RMT union go on strike next week.
If it goes ahead, the dispute over working conditions means that many signal boxes across Southern will be closed and many train services will be cancelled. Network Rail will be manning key signal boxes between the hours of 07:00 and 19:00, allowing us to operate a reduced service on some routes during these hours. Other routes will be closed and no services will operate.
Southern will be running a revised service as follows:
Two trains per hour between Brighton and Victoria and between London and Horsham, Caterham, Epsom Downs, Sutton and East Grinstead. Three trains per hour will operate between Three Bridges and Victoria while an hourly service will run between Uckfield and Oxted. There will also be a half-hourly shuttle service running between Brighton and Hove.
Southern’s Service Delivery Director, James Burt said: “Because a limited number of signal boxes will be staffed, we will only be able to provide train services on some of our routes. We plan to do the best we can for our passengers in the circumstances and hope that they will bear with us during this difficult time. While we will endeavour to run as many trains as possible, it will be a much reduced service and trains will be exceptionally busy.”
Passengers intending to travel on any of these days should note that no services will operate after 18:50 and should plan their journeys accordingly.
Journey details
Between the hours of 07:00 and 19:00 on 6, 7, 8 and 9 April, Southern will operate trains at frequencies on the routes below:
• 2 trains per hour between BRIGHTON and VICTORIA, calling at Haywards Heath, Three Bridges, Gatwick Airport, Redhill, East Croydon and Clapham Junction;
• 3 trains per hour between THREE BRIDGES and VICTORIA, calling at Gatwick Airport, Redhill, Purley, East Croydon and Clapham Junction;
• 2 trains per hour between HORSHAM and THREE BRIDGES, calling at Littlehaven, Faygate, Ifield and Crawley;
• 2 trains per hour between CATERHAM and LONDON BRIDGE, calling at Whyteleafe South, Whyteleafe, Kenley, Purley, Purley Oaks, South Croydon, East Croydon, Norwood Junction, Sydenham, Forest Hill then fast to London Bridge;
• 2 trains per hour between EAST GRINSTEAD and VICTORIA, calling at Dormans, Lingfield, Hurst Green, Oxted, Woldingham, Upper Warlingham, Riddlesdown, Sanderstead, South Croydon, East Croydon, Selhurst, Streatham Common, Balham and Clapham Junction;
• 2 trains per hour between EPSOM DOWNS and VICTORIA calling at Banstead, Belmont, Sutton, Carshalton Beeches, Wallington, Waddon, West Croydon, Selhurst, Streatham Common, Balham and Clapham Junction;
• 2 trains per hour between SUTTON and LONDON BRIDGE via West Croydon and Sydenham, calling at Carshalton Beeches, Wallington, Waddon, West Croydon, Norwood Junction, Sydenham, Forest Hill then fast to London Bridge;
• An hourly service between UCKFIELD and OXTED calling at all stations (pick up Victoria services at Oxted);
• 2 trains per hour between BRIGHTON and HOVE;
• First Capital Connect will be running 2 trains per hour between BRIGHTON and CITY THAMESLINK calling at Preston Park, Hassocks, Burgess Hill, Wivelsfield, Haywards Heath, Three Bridges, Gatwick Airport, Redhill, East Croydon, London Bridge and London Blackfriars
A much reduced service will be in operation only at the stations shown above, all other routes and stations will have no services during the RMT strike action. We expect all services to be exceptionally busy during the strike action.
No trains will operate in the evenings after 18:50. A special bus service will operate non-stop between Gatwick Airport and London Victoria after this time until 22:30 when an overnight train service will operate between Gatwick Airport and London Victoria calling at East Croydon. These trains will operate between 22:30 and 05:30.
Please note that all service will have stopped by 19:00 each day and so we would strongly advise that passengers should allow plenty of time to complete your journey as on all routes (except Gatwick Express) there will be no service until 07:00 the following morning.