Reading Festival travel to be hit by rail strikes

Reading Festival fans might find their travel plans delayed, thanks to a strike planned by rail provider First Great Western.

The industrial action will take place for three days throughout the bank holiday weekend, from 12:01 am on Saturday August 29th to Monday August 31st.

Get Reading reports that Rail, Maritime and Transport union (RMT) is holding its latest strike as part of ongoing job security concerns, which stem from the planned introduction of new Hitachi trains in 2018.

In a statement, general secretary of the RMT union Mick Cash said, “Despite strenuous efforts by our negotiators we have not been able to secure the kind of progress required in the key areas of jobs, services and safety for us to reach an agreement. As a result we have no option but to put further action on.”

This latest strike will surely cause concern for those heading to Reading Festival 2015, and could leave those with pre-booked train tickets out of pocket.

At the time of writing this article, Liftshare members were offering over 400 lifts to Reading for considerably less than a train ticket. For example, on The Trainline.com, an open return ticket from Bath to Reading will cost you £43, while a single can be purchased for £25.

On Liftshare, members are offering one-way trips to Reading for as low as £7.50. We are typically cheaper than train all year round, and by using our secure systems you can pre-book festival travel safely to ensure peace of mind. If you have any questions about security, insurance or trust, please check out our FAQ guide.

We hope everyone heading to Reading Festival has a smooth and pleasant trip this year, and manages to have a great weekend without too much hassle or expense.

Have you travelled to Reading Festival with Liftshare before? If so, we’d love to hear about your experience at superheroes@liftshare.com