Passengers are being urged to plan ahead over the festive period with industrial action by railway staff set to continue causing delays and cancellations.
West Midlands Railway and London Northwestern Railway are both warning of “significant disruption” after publishing revised timetables.
The RMT union has announced its intention to stage action short of strike – a ban on overtime – between tomorrow (18th December) and 2nd January, with the operators saying the move may cause short notice cancellations of some services.
Ongoing industrial action means a reduced service will be in operation today and tomorrow between 7.30am and 6.30pm, while trains on Christmas Eve will only run until 4pm. Limited services will be in place on 18th December and New Year’s Day, with no trains running on Christmas Day and Boxing Day.
Jonny Wiseman, customer experience director for the two operators, said:
“I am sorry that our passengers’ journeys will continue to be affected by industrial action during the Christmas period.
“We expect services to be busier across the rail network as a result of other train operators also being affected by industrial action.
“Our advice to passengers is to prepare for disruption across the Christmas period and check journeys carefully before travelling, as trains may be subject to short-notice changes.
“Anyone whose train is cancelled as a result of industrial action can claim a full refund from their point of purchase or travel on an alternative date.”
Jonny Wiseman
The TSSA union has also announced an intention to stage strike action on 28th December and 29th December. The operators say the impact of the move is “currently being assessed”.
