Media centre

Thursday 6 Oct 2022

Severely limited trains at London Euston during RMT strike

Region & Route:

North West & Central

| North West & Central: West Coast Mainline South

• Passengers should only travel if absolutely necessary during RMT strike action on Saturday 8 October
• A special timetable will be in place with only three trains per hour leaving London Euston
• Many routes have no trains at all - those which do run will start later from 7:30am and finish by 6.30pm
• Passengers are reminded to plan ahead using National Rail Enquiries and to expect disruption

Passengers planning on travelling during RMT strike action on Saturday 8 October are being warned not to get caught out with trains finishing much earlier than normal.

Only three trains per hour will depart from the station - that's compared to an average of 17 departures an hour on a non strike day.

Many last trains will leave between 3pm and 5pm and arrive at their final destinations by 6.30pm.

People are once again being advised to only travel by rail if absolutely necessary because of the continuing staff walkouts by RMT union members.

Passengers who still need to travel should check www.nationalrail.co.uk so they know exactly what to expect.

People can also check with their individual train operators through these links:

• Avanti West Coast’s information page
• London Northwestern Railway's information page
• Caledonian Sleeper's information page
• Transport for London's information page

Network Rail is trying to give passengers the best service it possibly can but trains will be significantly reduced or not running at all on some routes.

Across the country, thousands of specially-trained and fully qualified back-up staff will again step in during the walkout to keep vital services running for those who need them.

But with only a fifth of services running, on around just half of the network, passengers are asked to only travel by train if they must, and if it is necessary, allow extra time and check when their last train will depart.

Passengers should also expect disruption on the morning of Sunday 9 October with a later start to services as employees return to duties.

James Dean, Network Rail’s West Coast South route director, said: “Despite our best efforts to compromise and find a breakthrough in talks, rail unions remain intent on continuing and coordinating their strike action. This will once again have a major impact on the West Coast main line, causing misery for millions of rail passengers. With a fraction of the usual workforce available, including signallers who safely move trains around the network, there will be a severely limited service during RMT strike action this Saturday. 

“I can only apologise for the impact another RMT strike will have on people’s lives. It is frustrating to yet again ask our passengers to change their plans and only make absolutely essential journeys.”

Network Rail will also be carrying out railway improvement work on Saturday 8 and Sunday 9 October to track in Beechwood Tunnel on the West Coast main line near Berkswell, between Coventry and Birmingham International.

The investment will include replacing track and is needed to maintain the 110mph speed limit through the tunnel and keep trains running safely and on time in future.

Passengers travelling on those days will be kept on the move by rail replacement bus services, but journeys will take longer.

People are being advised to check before they travel at www.nationalrail.co.uk.