NFL games in London could be impacted by planned rail strikes, with industrial action scheduled for the opening two weekends of action in the capital.
London is set to play host to a number of NFL games once again this year as the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium will be the venue for two matches in October, while Wembley will house the third and final game shortly after. With the NFL constantly growing within the UK it's expected to be the biggest turnout yet, but thousands of fans are now expected to be impacted.
There are national rail strikes on the opening two weekends of October, which coincidentally clash with the first two NFL matches set to take place in London. All services will be disrupted, meaning that fans attending either Minnesota Vikings v New Orleans Saints or Green Bay Packers v New York Giants could face issues.
Industrial action was initially planned in September, but due to the death of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, unions agreed to postpone their protests as the country entered a state of mourning. Trains were essential to allow people to head to London and pay their respects, and were rescheduled for October.
But now fans looking to get to NFL games will be impacted, with both matches falling under a reduced timetable, and some routes won't be running at all. The Saints take on the Vikings on October 2, while the Packers face the Giants a week later on October 9.
Although the strikes fall on October 1 and October 8, the aftermath will still be felt the following day. On those days, all services will be cancelled, while the day after trains will begin to depart later than usual.
But even then, there will be a reduced rate, and most journeys are now showing alternative routes via bus and coach. This means that fans will have to allow a lot more time in order to reach their destination, and travel times will be increased too.
Are you heading to an NFL London game this year? Let us know in the comments section.
All striking unions informed National Rail of their decision, and the following statement was released by the National Rail service. "We have been notified of strike dates on Saturday 1 October 2022, Wednesday 5 October 2022 and Saturday 8 October 2022," it read.
"The rail industry is working hard to minimise the effect that this will have on our services but it is inevitable that services will be cancelled or severely disrupted. It is likely that there will be a very limited service on these days with no services at all on some routes.
"Services will also start later on Sunday 2, Thursday 6 and Sunday 9 October. Timetables are being planned and amended and these are expected to be available in our journey planner on Tuesday 27 September for the services on Saturday 1 October, and Thursday 29 September for the services on Wednesday 5 October.
"Please not that the strike action for Saturday 8 October was only announced on 22 September and so the timetable planning and ticketing policy have yet to be finalised. Please plan ahead and check before you travel."
