Rail services in Oxfordshire will be severely disrupted this weekend because of a strike by train drivers in the latest outbreak of industrial unrest in the industry.

Train operator Chiltern Railways has urged customers to only travel if absolutely essential on Saturday. 

Members of the train drivers’ union Aslef will strike for 24 hours at nine operators, including Great Western Railway, Avanti West Coast, CrossCountry and West Midlands Trains. 

The strike has been called by Aslef in a dispute over wages.

All the train companies are advising people not to travel, even if they are able to run services as the few they can run will be very busy. 

In a statement, Chiltern Railways said: "Due to the extensive nature of the strike action at other operators, it is expected that significant pressure will be placed upon the Chiltern Railways network.

"Additionally, extreme heat over the weekend has the potential to cause significant disruption to services."

READ ALSO: Round-up of strikes breaking out across the country

The company said it expects trains will be extremely busy and customers should expect delays and short notice cancellations on Chiltern services. 

Queuing systems may also be in place, and it may take longer to board services. 

If travelling is a necessity, they advise customers to plan ahead by checking their entire journey before they travel at http://www.chilternrailways.co.uk or the Chiltern Railways app. 

Great Western Railway is also advising passengers to only travel if absolutely necessary. 

It will only be able to operate services from Bristol Temple Meads to London Paddington, Reading to Oxford and Reading to Basingstoke.

These services will start later and finish much earlier than normal.

No other GWR services will run.

 

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