Significantly reduced train services announced as 40,000 workers plan to strike
With more than 40,000 RMT union members planning to walk out in the biggest rail strike next week, plans for a significantly reduced service have been revealed.
West Midlands Railway (WMR), Avanti West Coast and Transport for Wales are amongst 13 train operators with staff walking out on the 21st, 23rd and 25th of June.
The strikes come after Network Rail said it planned to cut 2,500 jobs as part of a £2bn reduction in spending, which now means around half of Britain’s lines will be closed on strike days next week.
The proposed schedule is:
- WMR services will only run between 07:30 and 18:30.
- Only one train an hour with travel between Birmingham New Street and Birmingham International stations.
- One train each hour running from Wolverhampton to Birmingham.
- On the Cross-City Line, which runs from Lichfield Trent Valley to Redditch via Birmingham New Street, there will be two trains an hour.
- No trains will run on any other WMR route, including all routes via Birmingham Snow Hill, Birmingham to Shrewsbury, Birmingham to Worcester and Hereford and Nuneaton to Leamington Spa.
- Avanti West Coast expects to run one train an hour from Euston to Birmingham, while Transport for Wales, which serves Shrewsbury and Birmingham, also plans to suspend trains to the region
Jonny Wiseman, WMR customer experience director said: “We are asking customers to only travel with us if their journey is essential and no other transport option is available to them.”
Passengers holding tickets or season tickets will be entitled to refunds.
