Warning of long delays across West Midlands as railway strike expected

Trains to Wolverhampton, Shrewsbury, Stafford, Dudley, Kidderminster, Walsall, Smethwick, and Birmingham will be affected – some customers have already been emailed with the option to get a quick refund rather than try and travel.

Rail workers are staging the first of a series of Saturday strikes in the long-running dispute over guards on trains – affecting West Midlands Railway and London Northwestern Railway services.

Members of the Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) union will walk out for 24 hours, disrupting services and causing other trains to be busier.

The union said the Government should stop promoting driver-only operation on trains.

General secretary Mick Cash said: "No amount of training or information leaflets is going to compensate for the fact that there are not enough staff on our stations or on-board our trains.

"The Government and the Train Operating Companies need to stop looking for new ways to make money by cutting staff jobs and begin investing in creating a truly accessible railway."

A spokesman for West Midlands Trains said: "We are very disappointed this action by the RMT is going ahead. A strike benefits nobody and will inconvenience businesses and thousands of local rail users.

"There is no need for this action, we have never proposed driver-only operation (DOO). We are committed to keeping a safety-critical conductor on every passenger train.

"In recent days, we proposed a solution which meets the latest demands from RMT, in respect of our new trains when they are delivered. The solution means conductors retain responsibility for safe train despatch from stations.

"We remain determined to find a way of resolving this dispute without further disruption and inconvenience for our passengers.

"We are running a reduced service on Saturday using managers who have guard competency. Passengers are advised to check their journey carefully before leaving home."

Visitors to Birmingham city centre are being reminded to think ahead before travelling by train. Network Rail say that with the Frankfurt Christmas market now in full-swing, a combination of market goers, shoppers and sports fixtures are expected to draw big crowds.

A spokesman for Network Rail said: "We are expecting trains and stations in Birmingham to be very busy again this weekend so we are urging passengers to be prepared.

“With strike action affecting West Midlands Railway and London Northwestern Railway services, passengers are being warned that other operators’ trains will be busier than usual.

“We therefore urge train customers to check before you travel, plan your journeys in advance, and know your last trains home.

“Network Rail and train companies are working as one team to get people from A to B as safely and swiftly as possible.”

For more information on how services will be affected, visit wmr.uk/industrialaction or www.lnr.uk/industrialaction.