Media centre

A special fleet of ‘leaf-busting’ trains have started blasting leaves off the line to help keep passengers and freight moving across the West Midlands and Chiltern main line this autumn.

Passengers should only travel if ‘absolutely necessary’ on coordinated rail strike days taking place on 1, 5 and 8 October.

Passengers using the Chiltern main line to travel between Birmingham, Oxford and London will soon benefit from smoother, more reliable journeys.

Bank holiday revellers are being urged to plan ahead if travelling by train as a host of huge events across the weekend means the railway will be extra busy.

Passengers are being warned that no trains will be running to or from Birmingham New Street station this Saturday (13 August) during industrial action by train drivers.

Athletes, sports fans and rail passengers from around the world are being thanked by Network Rail for an amazing 12 days as the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games come to an end.

Two Commonwealth Games-branded rescue locomotives are ready to swing into action and help broken down passenger and freight trains in the West Midlands.

• Passengers should only travel if necessary during RMT strike action this Wednesday 27 July
• A special timetable will be in place with only ten departures per hour from Birmingham New Street
• 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