disruption

People who are planning to travel today (2 November) have been urged to check their train journey as major disruptions are expected following the stabbings on an LNER service to London

A ‘major incident’ has been declared after multiple people were stabbed on board a train heading towards London, resulting in severe travel disruptions.

The shocking incident took place on Saturday, 1 November, during the LNER Azuma 18.25 service from Doncaster, South Yorkshire, to London King’s Cross. Police were alerted at 7.39pm to reports that “multiple people had been stabbed on a train”, and the service made an unscheduled stop at Huntingdon station for assistance from armed police, paramedics, air ambulances and transport police.

British Transport Police confirmed that 10 individuals were transported to hospital, with nine thought to have sustained life-threatening injuries. There have been no fatalities, and two suspects have been arrested over the stabbings.

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As a result of the horrifying attack, there is disruption to the LNER, which operates East Coast Mainline services in the UK, between London Kings Cross and Peterborough today (2 November). People who were planning to travel today have been advised to check before travelling as there may be “cancellations or alterations to the services”.

In an update on their website, LNER said: “The emergency services are continuing to deal with a major incident between Hitchin and Peterborough. Whilst they carry out their work some lines are still closed.

“Services between London Kings Cross and Peterborough may be cancelled, revised or delayed.

“Disruption is expected until the end of the day.

“Grand Central and Hull Trains services are not impacted.”

In an update on X, formerly Twitter, LNER also stated: “Customers booked to travel today, 02 November, can defer their travel up to and including the 07 November. Please check our website for the latest advice and updates.”

For the Great Northern and Thameslink services, LNER confirmed on their website: “Lines have reopened between Hitchin and Peterborough and trains which run between London Kings Cross and Peterborough will be able to run.

“However, Huntingdon station remains closed, if you wish to travel from Huntingdon, you will need to take a rail replacement bus to either St Neots or Peterborough and from there you can take a train service towards your destination. All buses are advertised on journey planners.

“If you are travelling to Huntingdon from the direction of London / Hitchin, please alight the train at St Neots where replacement buses are running. There are also rail replacement buses running from Peterborough to Huntingdon.

“Additionally, no trains in the direction of Peterborough will be able to call at Arlesey until at least 09:00.”

For more information, you can check the LNER website for updates here. Alternatively, you can check the Thameslink services here and the Great Northern lines here.

Following the incident, a spokesperson for LNER said: “We are concerned for everyone affected by the incident that occurred on the 1825 service from Doncaster to London King’s Cross on Saturday evening (1 November.)”

David Horne, Managing Director of LNER, said: “We are deeply shocked and saddened by this serious incident, and our thoughts are very much with everyone involved.

“I would like to thank the emergency services for their quick and professional response and the care they have provided to those injured. Anyone with information who hasn’t already spoken to police is urged to contact British Transport Police.

“The safety and wellbeing of everyone affected will remain our priority. We will continue to do everything we can to support our customers and colleagues during this difficult time.”

A spokesperson for the Rail, Maritime and Transport union also issued a statement: “We are horrified by the mass stabbing attack on an LNER train last night.

“Our thoughts remain with the train crew and passengers who were either at work or going about their business on a busy Saturday night during this awful incident.

“It is important we allow the emergency services and authorities to establish the full facts before commenting further.”

The ongoing government shutdown continues to disrupt flights at times and put pressure on air traffic controllers, who are working without pay.

On Friday evening, airports in Phoenix, Houston and San Diego were reporting delays because of staffing issues, and the Federal Aviation Administration warned that staffing problems were also possible at airports in the New York area, Dallas and Philadelphia.

A day earlier, flights were delayed at New York’s LaGuardia Airport, New Jersey’s Newark airport and Washington’s Reagan National Airport because of air traffic controller shortages. The number of flight delays for any reason nationwide surged to 6,158 Thursday after hovering around 4,000 a day earlier in the week, according to FlightAware.com.

Many FAA facilities are so critically short on controllers that just a few absences can cause disruptions, and Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy has said that more air traffic controllers have been calling in sick since the shutdown began. Early on in the shutdown, there were a number of disruptions at airports across the country, but for the last couple of weeks there haven’t been as many problems.

Duffy said the disruptions and delays will only get worse next week after Tuesday’s payday arrives and “their paycheck is going to be a big fat zero.” He said controllers are telling him they are worried about how to pay their bills and frustrated with the shutdown.

“The stress level that our controllers are under right now, I think is unacceptable,” he said at a news conference Friday at Philadelphia International Airport.

The shutdown is having real consequences, as some students at the controller academy have decided to abandon the profession because they don’t want to work in a job they won’t be paid for, Duffy said.

That will only make it harder for the FAA to hire enough controllers to eliminate the shortage, since training takes years. He said that the government is only a week or two away from running out of money to pay students at the academy.

“We’re getting word back right now from our academy in Oklahoma City that some of our young controllers in the academy and some who have been given spots in the next class of the academy are bailing. They’re walking away,” Duffy said. “They’re asking themselves, ‘Why do I want to go into a profession where I could work hard and have the potential of not being paid for my services?’ ”

The head of the air traffic controllers union, Nick Daniels, joined Duffy. He said that some controllers have taken on second jobs delivering for DoorDash or driving for Uber to help them pay their bills.

“As this shutdown continues, and air traffic controllers are not paid for the vital work that they do day in and day out, that leads to an unnecessary distraction,” Daniels said. “They cannot be 100% focused on their jobs, which makes this system less safe. Every day that this shutdown continues, tomorrow we’ll be less safe than today.”

Airlines and airports across the country have started buying controllers meals and helping them connect with food banks and other services to get through the shutdown.

The greatest concern is for new controllers who might make less than $50,000, but even experienced controllers who make well over six figures while working six days a week may be living paycheck to paycheck without much cushion in their budgets. Daniels said it’s not fair that controllers are facing impossible choices about whether to pay for rent or child care or groceries.

Duffy has said that air traffic controllers who abuse their sick time during the shutdown could be fired.

Republicans and Democrats have been unable to reach an agreement to end the shutdown that began on Oct. 1. Democrats are demanding steps be taken to avoid soaring healthcare premiums for many Americans set to take effect under the GOP spending law adopted this summer. Republicans have said they will negotiate only after ending the shutdown.

The airlines and major unions across the industry have urged Congress to make a deal to end the shutdown.

Air Line Pilots Assn. President Capt. Jason Ambrosi said in a message to his members that he’s concerned about air traffic controllers and other federal employees.

“The safety of millions of passengers and tens of thousands of tons of cargo is in the hands of these workers. Worrying about how they’ll make their mortgage payment or pay for day care is an added stress they do not need,” Ambrosi said.

Democrats have called on Republicans to negotiate an end to the shutdown. Rep. Sam Graves (R-Mo.), chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, put the onus on Democrats.

“Our aviation system has operated safely throughout the shutdown, but it’s putting an incredible and unnecessary strain on the system, and on our air traffic controllers, flight crews, and many other aviation professionals,” Graves said.

Funk writes for the Associated Press. AP writer Rio Yamat contributed to this report.

The Foreign Office (FCDO) said there could be problems for two reasons

Anyone jetting off to Italy this weekend has been warned of potential disruption. The Foreign Office (FCDO) has announced that a 24-hour national strike on Friday is set to cause issues.

The strike was scheduled to impact trains from 9pm on Thursday, October 2, and all transport from midnight and then throughout Friday, October 3.

Travellers have been advised to check schedules with transport providers.

Additionally, the FCDO has flagged up potential issues in Rome on Saturday, October 4.

It said: “Demonstrations are planned in Rome for Saturday, October 4. This is likely to attract a large number of protestors and cause disruption to roads and transport in the city centre. Plan your day and avoid any demonstrations.”

The FCDO has directed travellers to its safety and security page for more information about industrial action and demonstrations.

Jubilee 2025 – Holy Year

The FCDO also reminded travellers that The Jubilee, also known as the Holy Year, will be taking place in Rome from December 24, 2024, to January 6, 2026.

It added: “The city is expected to be very busy, if you are planning to travel to Rome during this time, see our Jubilee 2025 – Holy Year information in safety and security.”

Two of Italy’s biggest unions, the CUB Trasporti and USB unions, are organising walkouts in a dispute over pay and working conditions, this will affect British holidaymakers

British holidaymakers jetting to or from Italy tomorrow, September 26, face travel chaos due to nationwide strikes. Two of Italy’s largest unions, the CUB Trasporti and USB unions, are orchestrating walkouts over disputes regarding pay and working conditions.

According to EuroNews, the 24-hour industrial action will affect airline crews alongside airport personnel, with Milan’s Linate and Malpensa airports expected to bear the brunt of the disruption.

Milano Malpensa Airport warned on its website: “There might be some delays or cancellations affecting your flights. We invite passengers to contact the airline in order to check their flight status before going to the airport”.

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Baggage handling workers are also set to down tools, with Assohandlers employees planning to strike from 10am to 2pm, whilst drivers at Milan’s airports will walk out for the entire day.

Meanwhile in Sardinia, security personnel at Cagliari Elmas Airport are also preparing to strike, reports the Manchester Evening News. Budget carriers Volotea and Wizz Air Malta have also announced planned industrial action.

Holidaymakers are being warned to expect flight disruption with “cancellations and delays likely”. However, Italy’s civil aviation authority ENAC has mandated that flights scheduled between 7am and 10am and 6pm and 9pm must continue operating throughout the strike action.

Passengers are urged to contact their airline directly and factor in additional time for their journeys. No matter the reason, any passenger whose flight is cancelled is always entitled to a refund, rerouting or a return flight, according to European Union regulations.

Passengers are entitled to compensation if the strike action is carried out by cabin crew or pilots as it is not classed as an ‘extraordinary circumstance’.

However, industrial action undertaken by staff which are ‘external to the airline’ such as airport staff, can be regarded as an ‘extraordinary circumstance’ which means passengers would not be entitled to compensation. Passengers should contact their airline for more information.

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Travellers could face issues and delays on their trips after further strike action was announced which will take place on set days and times

Holidaymakers going to Spain are facing a fresh blow as new strikes have been announced affecting major airports and airlines across parts of the country. The UGT union previously stated there will be a series of strikes affecting Ryanair’s baggage handling department.

These are set to start on August 15. However there is now increased potential for delays and flight cancellations after 1,500 workers with a second firm, Menzies, said it would hold its own industrial action, which will also start in August.

Menzies services a number of major airlines including British Airways, easyJet, Wizz Air, American Airlines, Turkish Airlines, Emirates and Norwegian. The UGT union said the strike by ground staff of the Menzies group will affect five Spanish airports, including Barcelona-El Prat, Alicante, Palma, Malaga and Tenerife South, on August 16, 17, 23, 24, 30 and 31.

In a statement the union explained it is objecting to what it says are “serious and repeated breaches of labour agreements and the conditions established by agreement” by Menzies. Amongst these “violations”, UGT highlights “salary breaches, violation of subrogation rights, disorganisation in working hours and schedules.”

The union also claims there have been “constant errors in the management of personnel and payroll”, reports the Express. It also argues that there is a shortage of staff to handle the workload and an “arbitrary imposition of holidays.”

It claims Menzies is in breach of the sectoral handling agreement, the company’s own agreement, and the sectoral agreement ratified by the Interconfederal Mediation and Arbitration Service (SIMA) in December 2024, which led to the cancellation of a previous strike. The union has already called for multiple strikes in Ryanair’s handling department.

These are set for the peak holiday season when Spain is brimming with tourists. This strike, which involves more than 3,000 workers who load and unload luggage, will be held this week – on Friday, August 15, Saturday, August 16, and Sunday, August 17 and then every Wednesday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.

The Ryanair strikes could continue until next January unless an agreement can be reached. However legally, the workers must provide a “minimum service” which is yet to be determined, but the action will still significantly affect travellers.

The union says those protests are “against the sanctions imposed on workers and the abuse of hours.” Ryanair’s bases are situated in Valencia, Alicite, Madrid, Barcelona, Seville, Malaga, Ibiza, Palma, Girona, Tenerife South, Lanzarote and Santiago.

The strike at Azul Handling (Ryanair’s handling subsidiary) is set for August 15, 16 and 17 and will continue every Wednesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday until at least December 31, as confirmed by the UGT in a statement. The actions could potentially extend into January.

The strike will take place between 5am and 9am, noon and 3pm and 9pm to 11.59pm. The FeSMC-UGT airline sector is requesting mediation before the Interconfederal Mediation and Arbitration Service (SIMA).

The union has said the reasons for the strike call. It says these are:

• Lack of stable job creation and consolidation of working hours for permanent part-time staff
• Imposition and coercion in the performance of complementary hours, both ordinary and voluntary, apply in some cases, with disproportionate sanctions
• Repeated failure to comply with the opinions of the Joint Committee of the Sectoral Agreement on guarantees and bonuses
• Illegal restrictions on reinstatement after medical discharge and on the adaptation of working hours to exercise the right to family conciliation

It says: “UGT regrets having to go to these extremes and all the damages that may occur, for which the direct responsibility will be solely and exclusively the company and its reckless action with the workforce.”

Jose Manuel Perez Grande, Federal Secretary of the FeSMC-UGT Air Union, has accused Azul Handling of maintaining “a strategy of precariousness and pressure on the workforce that violates basic labour rights and systematically ignores union demands.”

The FeSMC-UGT Air Sector is calling for the company to withdraw the sanctions, stick to the recommendations of the Joint Commission, and start a real negotiation process aimed at enhancing the working conditions for over 3,000 employees across the country.

The Finnish Aviation Union has announced three strikes among workers at Helsinki Airport over the coming weeks, with Finnair the airline most impacted by the industrial action

Finnair has grounded 110 flights, impacting 8,000 customers, on a single day of a three-day strike.

Brits flying to Finland are facing travel chaos yet again, as the Finnish Aviation Union (IAU) has announced three fresh strikes on May 30, June 2, and June 4 at Helsinki Airport. This is Finland’s seventh aviation strike in under a month.

The industrial action is predicted to impact just shy of 30 UK flights across the three days. As the summer getaway kicks off, this latest wave of strikes will have ripple effects across Europe. The IAU, representing ground handling, baggage, catering, maintenance, and customer service staff, will strike over wage disputes with PALTA in 4-hour staggered shifts, leading to full-day disruptions.

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According to the IAU, the average earnings of Finnair Group employees rose by 6.4 percent between 2020 and 2023. During that same period the national average increase across all sectors was 10.4 percent.

The strikes are designed to maximise disruption, with union officials organising the walkouts at strategic times across a six-day window. The result is a wave of residual disruption: cancelled flights one day, incomplete baggage delivery the next, and last-minute rerouting throughout.

Palta, which represents employers, has argued that most employee groups were ready to accept the mediator’s proposed increases, Helsinki Times reports. It has said that the IAU is demanding adjustments beyond what others have asked for.

The cancelled direct flights from the UK will see nearly 5,400 passengers affected. Since Helsinki is a direct transit hub for Brits flying to Asia, the Baltics and Northern Finland. According to Air Advisor, 11,400 UK passengers will be affected.

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Key UK routes likely to be impacted include London Heathrow to Helsinki, Manchester to Helsinki, and Edinburgh to Helsinki.

The IAU strikes are not the only ones impacting European aviation customers this week. The May 30 to June 4 strikes align with Italy’s May 28 aircrew/taxi strikes, creating a rare “Nordic-Mediterranean Disruption Corridor”, disrupting Helsinki, Milan, and Rome hubs. This will strain Frankfurt and Amsterdam connections, adding excessive pressure on these hubs.

Anton Radchenko, aviation expert and founder of AirAdvisor, said: This is no longer a strike story, it’s a system failure story. Helsinki has now had more strikes in 30 days than most countries have in a year. This represents something far more serious than a few cancelled flights: they signal a system on the brink. Helsinki Airport, once considered one of the smoothest hubs in Europe, is now suffering from chronic unpredictability. For UK passengers, this isn’t just about Finland, it’s about how a local dispute can derail an entire travel experience across Europe.

“The most worrying aspect is the deliberate spread of these strikes. By placing them days apart, IAU is stretching airline operations beyond recovery: think of aircraft out of position, bags not making it to destinations, and crew timing out. It matters because this kind of disruption doesn’t stay in Finland; it ripples across hubs like London Heathrow, Frankfurt, and Amsterdam, making it even more chaotic.”

Affected passengers should check the airline’s website and mobile app for alternative flight options and manage their bookings accordingly. Finnair has told impacted customers that they will be supported with rebooking options to minimize inconvenience.

Finnair has been contacted for comment.

Football supporters travelling to and from Wembley for the Championship play-off final have been warned of delays or cancellations due to a series of train faults.

LNER said it was experiencing “major disruption” to services due to several trains requiring repairs on the East Coast Main Line.

Sheffield United and Sunderland compete for a place in the Premier League this afternoon, with the game kicking off at Wembley at 15:01 BST.

The travel problems could impact supporters of both sides, with disruption expected until the end of the day.

Rail passengers have been warned trains will be “extremely busy”, with the faults causing delays or cancellations.

Routes affected include LNER services between Inverness, Aberdeen, Edinburgh, Newcastle, Harrogate, Leeds, Bradford Forster Square, Skipton, Hull, Lincoln and London King’s Cross.

Lumo services between Edinburgh and King’s Cross are also impacted.

Passengers on cancelled journeys can travel on any LNER service, the firm said, or use their tickets on routes operated by other rail firms.

Earlier this week, Sheffield United supporters were warned about planned bank holiday rail engineering works also impacting journeys.