Industrial Action: Essential Travel Advice

Page last updated 5/10/2022

Following the National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport worker’s (RMT) and the Transport Salaried Staffs’ Association (TSSA) ballot for industrial action, strike action is planned across the UK rail network 8 October, with significant disruption expected on all lines, as well as services starting later and finishing much earlier than usual. The strike action on 5 October will not affect c2c services but trains may be busier than usual.

If your service is affected by strike action, cross-industry ticket acceptance and temporary removal of certain ticket restrictions may be made available. If you purchased an Off-Peak or Anytime ticket and choose not to travel because your service has been cancelled, delayed or rescheduled, you may be entitled to a fee-free refund or change from the original retailer of your ticket.  

On the c2c route, we are operating a reduced service between 07:30 – 18:30 only on strike days. Saturday 8 is further reduced from previous strike days and equates to around 15% of our regular service:

• • 2 trains per hour from Fenchurch Street to Shoeburyness via Rainham and Grays
  • No trains will run via Ockendon or Chafford Hundred
  • Engineering works on Saturday 8 mean there will be rail replacement bus services between Upminster and Pitsea via Laindon

Train plans for Saturday 8 and Sunday 9 have been confirmed but will be published on National Rail Enquiries and on our service alterations page once released. Check your first and last trains before you travel as they will be significantly different to our usual timetable.

First services Saturday 8 October:

• 07:26 Southend Central to Fenchurch Street via Tilbury and Rainham
• 07:36 Grays to Fenchurch Street via Rainham
• 07:46 Shoeburyness to Fenchurch Street via Tilbury and Rainham
• 07:50 Pitsea to Upminster via Laindon (replacement bus service)

Last services Saturday 8 October:

• 17:00 Fenchurch Street to Shoeburyness via Rainham and Tilbury
• 17:11 Upminster to Pitsea via Laindon (replacement bus service)
• 17:37 Fenchurch Street to Grays via Rainham

We will do all we can to honour passengers’ tickets, however the industrial action will cause significant disruption. Customers will have the following options: 

• Refunds: If your service has been cancelled, delayed or rescheduled, you will be entitled to a change or refund from the original retailer of your ticket. Find out more about applying for a refund here. ​
• Changing travel plans: If you have a ticket for travel on Saturday 8 October 2022 and your journey is affected, in whole or in part, by one of the train companies undertaking industrial action you can use this ticket to complete your journey either the day before or up to and including Tuesday 11 October 2022. If you have a ticket for travel on Wednesday 5 October 2022 and your journey is affected, in whole or in part, by one of the train companies undertaking industrial action you can use this ticket to complete your journey either the day before or up to and including Friday 7 October 2022..
• Changing operator or route: To help minimise any disruption, you may be able to use your ticket on another train company or an alternative route. Please contact the train company you are due to travel with for more information.
• Travel within London: customers presenting magstripe National Rail tickets (Singles, Returns or Season Tickets) for journeys across London are permitted to travel on TfL services (bus, Tube, tram or DLR) on reasonable routes only, on the days of the National Rail industrial action only. Barcode and tickets on smartcard cannot be accepted by TfL staff. Please note if your ticket is for a journey that includes crossing London it will not be valid on London Underground services on an alternative date. Please contact the original retailer of your ticket for more information.​
• Return Journey: If you do not/cannot make your outward journey because of a strike, you can have a refund on your outward and return ticket even if the latter is not affected by a strike. And the same if the return journey was affected by a strike but the outward journey was not.

If you’re unable to travel due to industrial action on 8 October, daily tickets may offer better value than a weekly season ticket.

You can also find out more information on the National Rail Enquiries website.