Tube strikes and engineering work to disrupt Jubilee weekend trains

Travellers hoping to take the train and tube over the Platinum Jubilee weekend could find their plans disrupted by a combination of strikes and rail engineering work.

A four-day UK bank holiday weekend will take place from Thursday 2 to Sunday 5 June to celebrate the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee.

The RMT union has called strikes on a leading intercity rail operator as well as on the London Underground.

On Saturday and Sunday, 4-5 June, conductors on TransPennine Express will stop work.

If the pattern of previous strikes is followed, the operator will run no trains linking Manchester and Liverpool with Glasgow and Edinburgh on the West Coast main line.

The line from Liverpool and Manchester to Leeds, Hull, York and Newcastle is likely to be significantly affected. Ticket acceptance has been arranged on other train operators.

The stoppage is part of a long-running dispute over payment for Sunday and rest day working. The union wants flat payments to staff of £275 and £250 respectively.

In London, strikes will take place on the Central, Jubilee and Victoria lines on Friday and Saturday evenings. The stoppages are part of a long-running dispute over pay for the Night Tube.

Transport for London said: “On Fridays and Saturday nights we expect a good service on the Victoria line; a regular service on the Jubilee line (at least three trains per hour); a regular service on the Central line (at least two trains per hour through central London).”

In addition, members of the RMT union will walk out of two key Tube stations – Euston and Green Park – on Friday 3 June.

Green Park is the nearest station to Buckingham Palace, while Euston is a key hub for passengers coming into London on the West Coast main line

The union says: “RMT members at both stations have suffered years of intimidation, bullying and unjustified sackings of colleagues by a manager who has created a toxic atmosphere in the workplace.”

The Victoria, Jubilee and Piccadilly lines run through Green Park; Euston is served by the Victoria and Northern lines. While trains will continue to operate, the level of disruption at the stations is unclear.

The general secretary of the RMT union, Mick Lynch, said: “Our strike on 3 June will cause significant disruption to people wishing to celebrate the Queen’s Jubilee.

“However, if Tube bosses do the right thing, and deal appropriately with the manager in question, we can find a just resolution to this dispute.”

A TfL spokesperson said: “We hold our people to high standards and ensure everyone is treated fairly. We’re aware of this dispute and are carrying out an urgent review in a bid to resolve it.

“We have had a number of meetings with the RMT and are urging them not to take strike action and to continue working with us to find a resolution.”

Several big Network Rail engineering projects are scheduled for all or part of the Jubilee weekend.

Manchester Victoria is the most-affected main station. Over the weekend, there will be a series of line closures including links to Stalybridge, Salford Central and Rochdale – affecting services to Leeds and Blackburn.

On Friday, no trains will run between Manchester Victoria and Liverpool Lime Street or Chester.

Alternative services are available from Manchester Piccadilly.

The main line from Leeds via Wakefield to Doncaster and onwards to London will be disrupted on Sunday 5 June.

Trains will not be able to run between Wakefield Westgate and Doncaster. LNER, CrossCountry and Northern trains will be diverted to run on alternative routes, adding to journey times.

Other projects will see buses replacing trains between Lewisham and Hayes in southeast London, and between Pontypridd and Merthyr Tydfil in South Wales.

A Network Rail spokesman said: “The rail industry has deliberately scaled back engineering works over the Jubilee weekend, meaning all routes into London are open for passengers to join the celebrations.

“A very small number of the works taking place will impact passenger journeys, and there are good transport alternatives where this is the case.”

The much-delayed Elizabeth Line will be partially open by the Jubilee weekend – connecting London’s Paddington station with the City, Canary Wharf and Woolwich.

While the new line is not running on Sundays until further notice, an exception will be made for Sunday 5 June because of the holiday.