Train strikes 2023: which rail services are still running this weekend - how is FA Cup travel affected?

Sports and music fans are facing major travel disruption this weekend after the train driver's union confirmed it would press ahead with strike action on the day of the FA Cup final, Epsom Derby and Beyoncé's appearance in London.

Aslef general secretary Mick Whelan said there were no negotiations in its dispute with employers, raising the prospect of ever more industrial action in coming weeks.

His comments came after a 24-hour walkout by drivers on Wednesday 31 May brought huge parts of the rail network to a halt and ahead of more strikes by both Aslef and the RMT in coming days. RMT members in England will strike on Friday 2 June before Aslef's second 24-hour walkout on Saturday 3 June.

The action is expected to cause major problems for fans travelling to London to watch Manchester United and Manchester City face off in the FA Cup final, with operators running very limited services on Friday and up to 60% of service cancelled on Saturday.  The action will also affect music fans trying to get to London for Beyoncé's Renaissance world tour concert at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium and the England v Ireland cricket match at Lord’s over the weekend.

The action is also expected to cause disruption for much of the week, with services on Thursday and Sunday suffering the knock-on effects of the action on surrounding days and an overtime ban by Aslef members. Train companies are warning that even on non-strike days services will begin later and finish earlier. 

Below is the latest information from train operators on which services are running on the next strike days:

Avanti West Coast

Friday 2 June: One train per hour from London Euston to each of Manchester, Liverpool, Birmingham and Preston, with a limited service onwards to Glasgow. The first train of the day will depart London Euston around 08:00 and the last train of the day from London Euston will depart shortly after 17:00. No servicess to North Wales, Shrewsbury, Blackpool, Stoke-on-Trent or Edinburgh, and Macclesfield station will be closed. Services from Manchester Piccadilly are expected to be busy.

Saturday 3 June: No service on any route.

C2C

No significant disruption expected on any strike day but on Friday 2 June, 12-carriage trains will not stop at Limehouse.

Chiltern Railways

Friday 2 June

A very limited service will be in operation between approximately 08:00 and 22:00, as follows:

• 1 train per hour between London Marylebone and Banbury
• 1 train per hour between London Marylebone and Oxford
• 1 train per hour between London Marylebone and Aylesbury (via High Wycombe)
• 1 train per hour between Amersham and Aylesbury Vale Parkway
• No services between Banbury and Stourbridge Junction or  between Hatton and Stratford-upon-Avon

Saturday 3 June: No service on any route.

CrossCountry

Friday 2 June: Reduced service with limited operating times.

Saturday 3 June: No service on any route.

East Midlands Railway

Friday 2 June: Services will operate between 07:30 and 18:30 only and only on the routes below: 

• 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 – Skegness)

Saturday 3 June: No service on any route.

Gatwick Express

Wednesday 31 May- Saturday 3 June: No Gatwick Express service.

Great Northern

Friday 2 June: A reduced service across a limited number of hours. Services will start later and finish much earlier than normal. Some routes will finish earlier than others, and some stations will not be served at all. 

Saturday 3 June: No service on any route.

Great Western Railway

The Night Riviera Sleeper service will not operate at all between 31 May and 3 June.

Friday 2 June: An extremely limited service will operate between 07:30 and 18:30 and between the following:

• London Paddington and Bristol Temple Meads
• London Paddington and Didcot Parkway
• 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 Parkway (replacement bus service)
• Cardiff and Westbury
• Bristol Temple Meads and Plymouth

Saturday 3 June: An extremely limited service from 07:30 to 18:30 between:

• London Paddington and Bristol Temple Meads
• Reading and Didcot Parkway (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 Temple Meads (two-hourly)
• Exeter and Barnstaple
• Plymouth and Gunnislake
• Penzance and St Ives

Greater Anglia/Stansted Express

Wednesday 31 May and Saturday 3 June: Most routes (including all regional lines) will have no service at all. Where services do run they will start at around 07:00 and last trains will operate until mid to late evening, finishing earlier than normal. Stansted Express from London Liverpool Street to Stansted Airport start at 04:40, then every 40 minutes past the hour until 23:25. Services from Stansted Airport to London Liverpool Street start at 05:42, then every 42 minutes past the hour until 23:42.

Friday 2 June: Trains will run from 07:00 with all last trains reaching their destination by 23:00. Some routes will have a reduced frequency service, but most routes will have a normal or near normal service during the hours that trains are running.

Saturday 3 June: Most routes will have no service. 

Stansted Express times the same as Wednesday 31 May. 

Heathrow Express

Saturday 3 June: No service

LNER

Reduced service with the first and last direct LNER services from London King’s Cross as follows: 

• To Edinburgh Waverley: First service: 07.30, Last service: 15.00
• To Newcastle First service: 07.30, Last service: 18.00                  
• To York First service: 07.30, Last service: 19.06                 
• To Leeds: First service: 13.30, Last service: 17.03   
• No services north from Ediburgh or Leeds.

Friday 2 June: Reduced service, one train per hour in each direction, no routes north of Edinburgh. 

Saturday 3 June: Roughly one train every two hours. No service north of Edinburgh. 

Northern

Friday 2 June: A limited service. Some routes and stations will not be served. Routes running are:

• Darlington - Saltburn
• Liverpool - Manchester Airport
• Leeds - York
• Leeds - Hebden Bridge
• Leeds - Ilkley
• Leeds - Skipton
• Leeds- Moorthorpe - Sheffield
• Leeds - Bradford Forster Square

Timetables for Friday 2 June can be found here.

Saturday 3 June: No service on any route.

Southwestern/Island Line

Friday 2 June: Significantly reduced service on a limited number of routes. Large parts of the network will be closed. Trains which do run will operate between 07:00 and 19:00 only.

Saturday 3 June: Services will start at 07:30 and there will be a reduced service between London Waterloo and Chessington South / Dorking / Hampton Court / Reading / Shepperton / Twickenham / Weybridge / Windsor & Eton Riverside. There will be a reduced service on the London Waterloo circular services via Hounslow and via Kingston, and in the Romsey area. There will be no service on the Island Line

Southeastern/Southern/Thameslink

Friday 2 June: A limited service running on the Southeastern network and some routes will be closed. Only 58 out of 180 stations will be open. There will be no service at Epsom, Epsom Downs and Tattenham Corner. No Gatwick Express service running. Gatwick Airport will still be served by Southern and Thameslink.

Saturday 3 June: No service on any route.

TransPennine Express

Friday 2 June: Heavily reduced service on the following routes only:

• 9 trains in each direction between Manchester Piccadilly and York
• 5 trains in each direction between Preston and Manchester Airport
• 5 trains in each direction between Sheffield and Cleethorpes

Saturday 3 June: No service on any route.

West Midlands Railway

Friday 2 June: A limited service will be in operation, between the hours of 07:00 and 19:00 only. Trains will run only on the routes below:

• Birmingham New Street – Wolverhampton via local stations: 1 train per hour
• Birmingham New Street – Birmingham International via local stations: 1 train per hour
• Birmingham New Street – Rugeley Trent Valley: 1 train per hour
• Lichfield Trent Valley – Birmingham New Street – Redditch / Bromsgrove: 1 train per hour to / from Bromsgrove and 1 train per hour to / from Redditch
• Kidderminster – Birmingham Snow Hill – Whitlocks End / Dorridge: 1 train per hour to / from Whitlocks End and 1 train per hour to / from Dorridge
• Stourbridge Junction – Stourbridge Town: Up to 6 trains per hour

Saturday 3 June: No service on any route.