Train services on Greater Anglia are likely to be severely disrupted next week because of four days of strikes by the RMT union.

Because of the strikes, Greater Anglia is advising people to avoid travelling on their trains on Tuesday 13, Wednesday 14, Friday 16, and Saturday 17 December.

Greater Anglia will only operate services to London Liverpool Street from Norwich, Colchester, Southend Victoria, and Cambridge, and the Stansted Express airport service. The first trains will not depart until at least 07.30 and the last trains will complete their journeys by 18.30.

Train services on the days following the strikes, Thursday 15 and Sunday 18 December, will start later than normal, from 07.30, and are expected to be busy.

The RMT has called a further strike from 18.00 on Christmas Eve until 05.59 on Tuesday 27 December. Details are still be finalised, but it’s likely to leave Greater Anglia running no trains after 16.00 on Christmas Eve, no Stansted Express services on Boxing Day, and the first trains on Tuesday 27 December starting later than usual and not until after 07.30.

Service arrangements on the strike days are as follows:

Intercity service between Norwich and London Liverpool Street:

• one train an hour, with the first train from Norwich at 08.00 and last train back to Norwich departing from Liverpool Street at 16.30.

Stopping service between Colchester and London Liverpool Street:

one train an hour, with the first train from Colchester at 07.30 and the last train back to Colchester departing from Liverpool Street at 17.00.

Service between Southend Victoria and London Liverpool Street:

• two trains an hour, with the first train departing from Southend Victoria at 07.30 and the last train back to Southend departing from Liverpool Street at 17.30.

Service between Cambridge and London Liverpool Street:

• one train an hour, with the first train from Cambridge departing at 08.20 and the last train back to Cambridge departing from Liverpool Street at 16.25.

Stansted Express – Stansted Airport to London Liverpool Street:

• two trains an hour, with the first and last trains from Liverpool Street departing at 08.10 and 17.40 and from Stansted Airport at 07.42 and 17.12.

Trains not running due to the strike will not be replaced by buses.

Anyone who has booked a ticket to travel on strike days will be able to travel either the day before or up to and including Tuesday 20 December instead. If they wish to get a refund or change a date they should contact the retailer where they purchased their ticket..

Tickets for 24, 26, and 27 December can instead be used on 23 December or up to and including Thursday 29 December.

Further strikes are planned by the RMT for Tuesday 3, Wednesday 4, Friday 6 and Saturday 7 January. Greater Anglia staff who are members of the RMT are also planning more strikes in December and January. These will include Greater Anglia station staff, catering, revenue protection, train cleaning, and conductor teams, as well as Network Rail signallers and maintenance staff.

The latest information about the effect of the strikes can be found at greateranglia.co.uk/strikes.

Greater Anglia managing director Jamie Burles said: “We are very sorry that these strikes are disrupting people’s festive plans and badly affecting businesses counting on Christmas custom – as well as making it difficult for people to get to work and school or college.

“Unfortunately, we are left with no option but to ask people to avoid travelling with us because as with previous strike days we are only able to run a small fraction of our usual services.

“We will do all we can to run the best possible service in the days between strikes – from Sunday 18 to Friday 23 December.

“The rail industry remains committed to settling has tried very hard to try to settle this dispute and talks are continuing.”