Train companies set out their schedules with huge strike action looming
Britain’s train operators have released plans for their altered services in a week set to be marked by the largest industrial action in the rail sector for 30 years.
People should prepare for travel chaos as three one-day rail strikes are “likely” to go ahead, a senior minister has said.
Here is a breakdown:
Avanti West Coast
A limited service of around a quarter of the normal timetable will operate, and only between 8am and 6pm. A number of routes will not be served, such as to North Wales, Stoke and Edinburgh. The operator has suspended ticket sales for travel between today and Sunday to “help reduce disruption and overcrowding”.
CrossCountry
No services will run from Birmingham New Street to Bristol Temple Meads, Cardiff Central, Peterborough, Cambridge or Stansted Airport across the three strike days. A “very limited service” is planned between Bristol Parkway and Plymouth, and Birmingham New Street and Edinburgh Waverley via Leeds, York and Newcastle. There will also be a reduced service between Birmingham New Street and Manchester Piccadilly.
Transport for Wales
Most lines will be closed on strike days. For today and Thursday, a reduced service will run between Radyr and Treherbert, Aberdare and Merthyr Tydfil, with replacement bus services between Radyr and Cardiff Central. On Saturday, there will be limited trains between Radyr and Treherbert, Aberdare and Pontypridd, with replacement buses between Radyr and Cardiff Central.
West Midlands Railway
The industrial action will have a “considerable impact”. There will also be a “very limited service” tomorrow and Friday. On strike days, no trains will run on several routes to and from Birmingham New Street, such as Shrewsbury and Walsall.
London Northwestern Railway
Services on strike days will be “very limited”. This includes just two trains per hour between London Euston and Northampton, and one per hour between Birmingham New Street and Northampton. No trains will operate between London Euston and Crewe.
LNER
The last train from London King’s Cross to Edinburgh will be at 2pm, while the final service to Leeds will depart at 3.05pm.
East Midlands Railway
Services will be reduced between today and Sunday. Just one train per hour will run in each direction on most routes.
Chiltern Railways
No trains will run north of Banbury or to Oxford between today and Saturday. Services will be suspended on “most routes” on strike days due to “extremely limited availability of staff”.
Great Northern
There will be very few trains on strike days, with no services east of Ely to King’s Lynn. An amended Sunday service will be in place on the days after strikes.
Great Western Railway
A number of services will not be running on strike days, including all those in Cornwall and Devon and on the South Wales main line, Heart of Wessex line, Severn Beach line, North Cotswolds line and South Cotswolds line. More than half the planned trains from London to Castle Cary between Wednesday and Friday have been cancelled.
