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Thursday 29 Sep 2022

Rail passengers urged to only travel by train if absolutely necessary due to coordinated strike action on 1, 5 and 8 October

Region & Route:

Wales & Western

| Wales & Western: Western

As a result of coordinated industrial action starting this Saturday (1 October), Network Rail is warning passengers on its Western route – which covers the railway and towns and communities between Penzance and London Paddington – to expect extremely limited train services, only travel by train if absolutely necessary and plan ahead and check when their last train will depart.

• On strike days an extremely limited service will operate between 07.30 and 18.30, first trains will start later, and the last trains will leave much earlier
• On Saturday 1 October, coordinated strike action by RMT, Aslef and TSSA trades unions will mean only around 11% of services will operate
• Train drivers at 14 operators – including GWR and CrossCountry – are also walking out on Wednesday 5 October, meaning disruption for passengers on Western route
  
  
• The RMT is then staging another walkout on Saturday 8 October

Saturday 1 October

This Saturday, across Network Rail’s Western route a severely limited train service will see trains only operating between Bristol Temple Meads and London Paddington, Reading and Didcot, and Reading and Basingstoke. There will be no train services between Bristol Temple Meads and Cardiff nor any services south west of Bristol Temple Meads including the whole of Devon and Cornwall.

Due to industrial action on the Saturday, services on Sunday 2 October will also be severely disrupted. People wishing to use the train to travel for the London Marathon are advised to follow the advice published on the event’s website.

Wednesday 5 October

Strike action by train drivers at 14 operators will again see severe disruption and extremely limited services. Trains on this day will only operate between Bristol Temple Meads and London Paddington, Reading and Oxford, and Reading and Basingstoke with no other services in operation.

Saturday 8 October

The RMT are staging another walkout on Saturday 8 October which will also see a reduced rail service in operation once again.

Mike Gallop, Network Rail’s Western route and strategic operations director, said: “I would like to apologise, once again, to our passengers for this disruption as a result of the ongoing industrial action by the trades unions.

“This coordinated strike action is going to cause misery and significant disruption next week, beginning this Saturday, including negatively impacting spectators and participants of the London Marathon.

“I urge passengers to please only travel by rail if absolutely necessary and plan ahead and check when their last train will depart.”

As was the case for ‘strike days’ in June, July and August, thousands of specially-trained and fully qualified back-up staff will step in during the walkouts to keep vital services running for those who need them. But Saturday 1 October will be the first time that the RMT and Aslef strike on the same day, services will be even more significantly disrupted with around only 11% of services running compared with around 20% on a typical strike day.

Passengers are also advised that there is likely to be some disruption in the early morning of the day after each strike – Sunday 2 October, Thursday 6 October and Sunday 9 October – as workers return to duties.

People who need to travel on strike days and who already have a ticket should check with their train operator before they travel for advice on the flexibility of their ticket. Passengers can also check on National Rail Enquiries or their rail operator's website to see if their operator is affected by this industrial action.