ALL trains between Oxford and Didcot will be cancelled if a national 24-hour rail strike goes ahead on Bank Holiday Monday, a train operator has warned.

Rail bosses have warned the walkout could cause up to 48 hours of disruption, from just after midnight on Monday morning until early on Wednesday morning.

The 24-hour strike by thousands of Network Rail workers, which itself will run from 5pm Monday, will affect bank holiday passengers and commuters returning to work on Tuesday.

According to First Great Western, commuters won’t be able to make their usual journey from Oxford to London Paddington. The firm also said it was unable to provide replacement bus services.

FGW spokesman James Davis said: “There will be no First Great Western services between Oxford and Didcot. Some services will run from Paddington to Didcot, but there will be no rail services north of Didcot.

“This is a national strike and we cover 10 counties, so it is not viable to provide enough buses to cover the number of people travelling.

“Local buses will continue to operate, but there will be no rail replacement buses.”

Dr Ian East, chairman of the Oxford to Bicester Rail Action Group, works in publishing and travels to London from Oxford station.

He said: “It’s going be very difficult for commuters and they will need to make alternative plans.

“They could drive to Bicester and travel into London Marylebone, or drive to Didcot Parkway, but parking is limited.

“Or they could get the coach into London, but some professionals will probably work from home if they can.”

Taria Chester, a courts mediator from Oregon in the United States, said: “I was planning to head to London on Monday or Tuesday but now I will be leaving on Saturday instead.”

Oxford Bus Company spokesman Phil Ashworth said the X90 coach service to London would be running as normal, with the company monitoring passenger numbers. Stefan Soanes, general manager of Thames Travel, which runs buses from Oxford to Didcot, said: “We will be monitoring the number of people using our X1, X2 and X32 services and will allocate as many double decker vehicles to the routes as possible.”

The planned strike over pay involves members of both the RMT and TSSA unions, creating a shortage of signallers, maintenance staff and white-collar workers.

CrossCountry, which runs services between the north, Birmingham and the South Coast, warned customers they may face “significant disruption”, while Chiltern Railways said it hoped to run a reduced service on Monday.

While Chiltern will run trains between Bicester, Aylesbury and London Marylebone on Tuesday, the company is unlikely to run any trains that day in the West Midlands, or from Banbury until the evening.

Mark Carne, Network Rail chief executive, said: “This strike is deliberately timed to cause maximum disruption to families trying to enjoy the half-term break and millions more returning to work after the bank holiday.”

A statement on FGW’s website added: “Trains that are able to run are expected to be busy.

“Full refunds will be available for customers who have already bought tickets during the industrial action period and choose not to travel, and season ticket-holders will be compensated for any days affected.”

Those with tickets for Monday and Tuesday will also be able to use their ticket to travel on Sunday, May 24, or Wednesday, May 27, subject to any travel restrictions.

During Monday and Tuesday it is expected that services that are running will operate on a reduced basis between 7.30am and approximately 6.30pm.

Oxford-based rail expert Hugh Jaeger, a former train driver on the London Underground, said: “If this strike is only short-term then rail traffic should not be lost, but if this dispute runs on it could drive passengers away.”

The cancelled services

FIRST Great Western said Network Rail has confirmed it does not expect to be able to allow access to the following areas of the First Great Western network, and no trains will run after 00.01 Monday, May 25 and on Tuesday, May 26. Services starting on Wednesday will also be affected.

  • North Cotswolds line, from Oxford and calling at Worcester and Hereford, or services between Didcot and Oxford
  • Beyond Plymouth to Penzance and on Devon and Cornwall branch line services
  • Reading to Gatwick Airport/Reading to Basingstoke
  • Between Swindon and Gloucester/ Cheltenham p Between Bath Spa and Portsmouth Harbour
  • Between Reading and Taunton p On the Henley-on-Thames and Greenford branch lines
  • On Severn Beach branch line.

For the latest information check nationalrail.co.uk