Train strike next Saturday could keep football fans and tourists away from Brighton

Another train strike next Saturday (13 August) could keep football fans and tourists away from Brighton.

About 3,000 Newcastle United fans are expected to head to the Amex stadium in Falmer for Brighton and Hove Albion’s first home game of the new Premier League season.

Some Albion fans also travel a considerable distance for matches at home although most are local.

And, with the Met Office forecasting sunshine and a temperature of about 30C, thousands of visitors are expected to head for the beach.

But rail passengers are being warned of fresh disruption to services because of a planned strike by train drivers at nine companies in the long-running row over pay and conditions.

Industry leaders said that the 24-hour walkout by members of the ASLEF union next Saturday would coincide with another busy weekend of football, affecting matches in London, Manchester, Birmingham and Brighton.

Strike-day timetables are due to be published tomorrow (Tuesday 9 August) but passengers are being advised to follow the latest travel advice, check before they set off and allow extra time for their journey.

The strikes will affect Arriva Rail London, Avanti West Coast, Crosscountry, Greater Anglia (including Stansted Express), Great Western, Hull Trains, LNER, London Overground, Southeastern and West Midlands Trains.

Other companies not involved in the strike, such as Southern, Thameslink and the Gatwick Express, will be running trains but these are expected to be busy.

And passengers are also advised to consider starting their journeys later on Sunday 14 August.

Passengers with advance, off-peak or anytime tickets affected by the strike can use their ticket on the day before the date on the ticket or up to and including Tuesday 16 August.

Alternatively, they can change their tickets to travel on an alternate date or get a refund if their train is cancelled or rescheduled.

Rail Delivery Group chairman Steve Montgomery said: “We’re really disappointed that the ASLEF leadership has, for the second time in as many weeks, decided to impose yet more uncertainty for passengers and businesses by disrupting passengers’ weekend plans.

“I will reiterate what I’ve previously said – I am ready and willing to talk to the leadership of ASLEF today, tomorrow or indeed any time next week.

“They should call off next week’s action and talk to us instead. What our passengers and our staff expect is for us to talk and work out a way through this.

“While we will do all that we can to minimise disruption and to get passengers where they need to be, if you are going to travel on the routes affected, please plan ahead and check the latest travel advice.

“Like any service or business, things do not just stand still and we must move with the times. We want to give our people a pay rise as we know everyone is feeling the pinch due to the cost of living rises.

“We have to find the money somewhere as we cannot continue to ask taxpayers or passengers for more so we must modernise and adapt to changes in passenger behaviour.

“By making these necessary reforms, such as ending the reliance on volunteer working at weekend, we improve punctuality, have more resilient Sunday services, and use those savings to give our people a pay rise, which has always been what we want to do.

“Further strikes will see our people out of pocket and mean less money to fund a pay rise, so we urge the ASLEF leadership to come and talk to us so we can reach a deal that is fair to staff and taxpayers and which secures a bright long-term future for our railway.”

The Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) union, the Transport Salaried Staffs Association (TSSA) and Unite have announced further strikes for Thursday 18 August and Saturday 20 August, as well as a separate RMT walkout on London Underground on Friday 19 August.