THERE will be no trains running between Didcot and Oxford if a national 24-hour rail strike goes ahead on Bank Holiday Monday, a train operator has warned.

But replacement bus services for affected routes will not be put on by First Great Western and disruption is expected to last for more than 48 hours, starting first thing on Monday.

The 24-hour walkout from 5pm Monday by thousands of Network Rail workers will affect Bank Holiday passengers heading for the coast, and commuters returning to work on Tuesday.

Commuters will not be able make their usual journey from Oxford to London Paddington, First Great Western has warned.

Company spokesman James Davis said there would be disruption from midnight on Monday until early on Wednesday morning.

He 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.”

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.

Mr Davis added: “We're disappointed that, in a dispute that has nothing to do with First Great Western, it is our passengers who may be affected the most.

“We remain hopeful that Network Rail and the RMT discussions at ACAS over the next few days will be productive and avoid any disruption to our customers.

"We have been talking to Network Rail about the specific impact this will have on First Great Western services and we will publish our plans as soon as possible to allow customers to make an informed decision about their journeys."

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: "Should action go ahead is it likely to have a significant impact on our ability to run our train services throughout this period.

“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 travel on Monday and Tuesday will also be able to use their ticket to travel on Sunday or Wednesday, May 27, subject to any travel restrictions that would normally apply.

Passengers with tickets bought in advance for Monday or Tuesday will also able to travel on Sunday or Wednesday, using the same service or one immediately before or after the booked time.

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

Oxford-based rail expert Hugh Jaeger, a former train driver on the London Underground, said thousands of passengers would be affected and urged them to make contingency plans.

He added: "The strike will affect rail passengers over the Bank Holiday and also commuters.

"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."