Rail strikes: No trains after Wales v New Zealand in Cardiff

Rugby fans are being warned not to travel by train to Cardiff for Wales' upcoming match against New Zealand due to "disruptive'' rail strikes.

Wales are set to face the All Blacks in the autumn internationals on 5 November, with kick-off at 15:15 GMT.

Up to 35,000 people would usually descend on the city by train - but capacity will be cut by two-thirds.

Transport for Wales (TfW) has urged fans to "make alternative arrangements" and not take the train.

There will be no trains after the match, with the final service departing from Cardiff Central before 17:00, meaning thousands of fans will likely be forced to take to the roads instead, prompting fears of heavy traffic.

The Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers (RMT) and Transport Salaried Staffs' Association (TSSA) unions have announced strike action will take place on 5, 7 and 9 November.

The TSSA has also said it will take industrial action, but not strike, on 4, 6 and 8 November.

On the full strike days, most trains across the Wales and Border network will be suspended, with severely reduced services running east of Cardiff and to the valley lines only.

The ongoing strike action by railway staff is due to a dispute over pay, pensions and working conditions.

TfW Wales is not involved but its services will be affected as it relies on Network Rail staff to run trains on much of the network.

Across the UK, only about 20% of services will run on strike days.

Jan Chaudhry-Van der Velde, TfW managing director, said: "The safety of our passengers is always our primary concern and, due to the severe impact of the industrial action on our ability to run services, we are advising customers not to travel by train on Saturday 5 November and to make alternative travel arrangements."

Passengers can get ticket refunds if they are unable to travel on the strike days and can also use their tickets on alternative days.

Steve Montgomery, chairman of the Rail Delivery Group which represents train companies, said the strike action would "bring widespread disruption for passengers and businesses" and is "particularly disappointing" for rugby fans given the gravitas of the event."