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Christmas chaos threatened on Gatwick rail services
Passengers travelling to Gatwick Airport have been warned to expect severe delays on train services from tomorrow due to strike action by Southern staff.
The walk-out will hit the Gatwick Express service as well as other trains operated by Southern Rail, including those to and from the airport.
Industrial action by ASLEF and RMT union members will start tomorrow and continue until Thursday.
There is another strike panned for next Tuesday and Wednesday and further strikes on Friday December 16, Monday 19 to Tuesday 20 and New Year’s Eve to Monday January 2 and Monday 9 to 14 of January.
Industrial action is being taken by a combination of RMT conductors and RMT and ASLEF drivers.
Southern warned passengers to expect ‘severe and significant’ disruption each day from Tuesday.
It said ASLEF’s continuous drivers’ overtime ban would also severely affect services every day.
Disruption is expected to be most severe on the days when drivers will be striking, which are Tuesday and Wednesday and Friday of next week and 9 to 14 of January.
On RMT strike days around 50% of the full timetable will operate but if the ASLEF strikes go ahead, no Southern services will run.
Its owner, Govia Thameslink Railway, is taking legal action to try to prevent the workers from walking out.
In addition to the strikes by Southern rail workers, RMT members on London Underground’s Piccadilly, Hammersmith and City and Circle Lines will strike for 24 hours from Tuesday evening.
The industrial action is likely to cause problems for Heathrow passengers who use the Piccadilly line to travel between the airport and central London.
Linsey McNeill
Editor Linsey McNeill has been writing about travel for more than three decades. Bylines include The Times, Telegraph, Observer, Guardian and Which? plus the South China Morning Post. She also shares insider tips on thetraveljournalist.co.uk
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