Passengers urged to only travel if essential as West Midlands Railway confirms strike timetable

Thursday, 8 December 2022

West Midlands Railway (WMR) is urging passengers to only travel if essential, with industrial action set to impact timetables next week (w/c Dec 12).

The operator is also asking passengers travelling by rail over the entire Christmas period to check their journeys carefully as industrial action may impact trains, particularly those in the early morning and late evening.

Significant disruption in expected on Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday next week due to industrial action by members of the RMT union. Trains will run between 7.30am and 6.30pm on certain routes only. Some routes will have no train service.

Jonny Wiseman, WMR customer experience director, said: “It is very disappointing that our customers will once again be impacted by this unnecessary industrial action.

“With only a very limited service running and some routes with no trains at all, our advice to passengers is to only travel if your journey is essential. If you do travel over the Christmas period, please check your train carefully.

“Anyone holding a ticket for travel on a strike day can claim a full refund from their point of purchase.”

The following routes will have a limited service on Tuesday 13 December, Wednesday 14 December and Friday 16 December:

• Cross-City Line (Lichfield Trent Valley – Redditch/Bromsgrove via Birmingham New Street)
• Wolverhampton-Birmingham
• Birmingham New Street-Birmingham International
• Birmingham New Street – London Euston via Northampton (London Northwestern Railway service)
• Birmingham New Street – Crewe via Wolverhampton (London Northwestern Railway service)

No services will run on any other WMR route on these dates, including all routes via Birmingham Snow Hill, Birmingham-Shrewsbury and Nuneaton-Leamington Spa.

Members of the TSSA union at WMR will also strike on Saturday 17 December, further impacting services. Timetables for this date are being finalised and will be published next week.

A normal timetable is expected to be in operation on all routes on Thursday 15 December following a later start up.

Passengers are also being warned to expect disruption over the Christmas period due to further industrial action by RMT members. Timetables for journeys from Sunday 18 December until Christmas Eve are currently being finalised and will be published next week. No train service will run on Christmas Day or Boxing Day.

To stay up to date with how industrial action is impacting WMR services, visit www.wmr.uk/industrialaction

About West Midlands Trains

For further information on this release, email [email protected]

West Midlands Trains operates both West Midlands Railway and London Northwestern Railway services.

• London Northwestern Railway services operate between Liverpool and Birmingham, and on the West Coast Main Line to and from London Euston.

• West Midlands Railway services operate to destinations across the West Midlands via Birmingham New Street and Birmingham Snow Hill.

For more information on these services visit westmidlandsrailway.co.uk or londonnorthwesternrailway.co.uk

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