Passengers are being warned to check before they travel on Thursday 16th and Saturday 18th March, due to strike action called by the RMT union. Although the RMT called off a strike with Network Rail, they are still in dispute with the train operating companies, and those strikes are still going ahead.
The strikes will affect services on 14 train companies with trains due to start later and finish much earlier than usual. It is expected that nationally between 40 and 50 per cent of train services will run, but there will be wide variations across the network, with no services at all in some areas.
Morning services the day after the strike may also be disrupted because many of the trains will not be in the right depots.
Additionally, London Underground will strike on Wednesday 15th March, and unless resolved, there will be another national rail strike on the 30th March and 1st April.
The following national rail train companies have released details of the services they can offer during the strikes on 16th and 18th March 2023.
Avanti West Coast
They plan to run One train per hour from Euston to each of Manchester, Liverpool, Birmingham and Preston, with a limited service onwards to Glasgow. These trains will operate during limited hours, with the first train of the day departing Euston just after 7.30am and the last train of the day from Euston departing just after 4pm.
No services between North Wales, Shrewsbury, Blackpool, Edinburgh, Macclesfield and Stoke-on-Trent.
Chiltern Railways
One train per hour in each direction between Marylebone and Oxford and between Marylebone and Banbury.
Also, One train per hour in each direction between Marylebone and Aylesbury via High Wycombe and One train per hour between Aylesbury Vale Parkway and Amersham,
There will be no Chiltern Railways service North of Banbury.
First trains of the day willl generally be between 8am-9am and last trains will be between 4pm-5pm.
CrossCountry
One train per hour on lines between Birmingham and Bristol, Reading, Southamption, Manchester or Leeds/York. Limited services between Birmingham and Newcastle/Edinburgh.
No services between Birmingham and Cardiff, Peterborough or Nottingham.
East Midlands Railway
One train per hour between Nottingham and London St Pancras, and between Sheffield and London St Pancras, and between Corby and London St Pancras
One train per hour between Derby and Matlock and between Derby and Nottingham and between between Sheffield and Nottingham.
One train per hour between Leicester and Nottingham (Stopping Service)
One train per hour between Mansfield Woodhouse and Nottingham.
All other lines will be closed.
Gatwick Express
Two trains per hour will run direct between London Victoria and Gatwick Airport.
Great Western Railway (GWR)
An extremely limited service will operate. There will be a reduced operating window; services will start at 7:30am and must be completed by around 7:30pm.
A very limited service will run mainly between the major cities only.
No services will operate to Cheltenham for the Cheltenham Festival and customers will need to consider alternative means of travel.
Greater Anglia
There will be a reduced service operating on a limited number of routes between 7am and 7pm, with all last trains reaching their destination by 7pm. However, many routes will have no service at all.
Great Northern
Two trains per hour will run between King’s Cross and Ely, each calling at different stations – so for stopping services, in effect one train per hour.
One train per hour will run between King’s Cross and Cambridge, and two trains per hour will run between King’s Cross and Peterborough.
Two trains per hour will run between King’s Cross and Welwyn Garden City, and two trains per hour will run between King’s Cross and Stevenage.
London North Eastern Railway (LNER)
There will be a limited service between London and Edinburgh only.
Northern Trains
A limited service will run on both dates, check closer to the date for specific routes.
Southeastern
There will be a limited service with trains starting later and finishing earlier. They expect that only 52 out of 180 stations will be open.
Southern
On the Thursday, two trains per hour will run between London Victoria and Sutton, calling at Clapham Junction, Balham, Mitcham Eastfields, Mitcham Junction, Hackbridge, and Carshalton only. This service will not run on the Saturday.
Two trains per hour will run between London Victoria and Epsom Downs, and between London Victoria and West Croydon.
One train per hour will run between Caterham and Purley.
Two trains per hour will run between London Blackfriars and Sevenoaks on Thursday only.
Two trains per hour will run between London Victoria and Brighton, calling at Clapham Junction, East Croydon, and Gatwick Airport only.
Two trains per hour will run between London Bridge and Tattenham Corner, and two trains per hour will run between London Bridge and Three Bridges, inc Gatwick Airport.
Two trains per hour will run between Brighton and Hove only. One train per hour will run between Brighton and Barnham. Two trains per hour will run between Barnham and Three Bridges. One train per hour will run between Brighton and Eastbourne.
Thameslink
Two trains per hour will run between St Pancras International and Bedford, calling at West Hampstead Thameslink, St Albans City, Harpenden, Luton Airport Parkway, Luton, Leagrave, Harlington, and Flitwick only.
Two trains per hour will run between St Pancras International and Luton.
Two trains per hour will run between London Bridge and Brighton, calling at London Bridge, East Croydon, Gatwick Airport, Three Bridges, Balcombe, Hayward’s Heath, Wivelsfield, Burgess Hill, Hassocks, Preston Park and Brighton only.
TransPennine Express
There will be a limited service between Hudersfield and York, Manchester Airport and Preston and between Sheffield and Cleethorpes.
West Midlands Trains
There will be a limited service between 7am and 7pm on the following routes.
- Lichfield Trent Valley – Birmingham New Street – Redditch / Bromsgrove (2 trains per hour)
- Birmingham New Street – Northampton via Coventry (1 train per hour)
- Northampton – London Euston (2 trains per hour)
- Birmingham New Street – Wolverhampton via local stations (1 train per hour)
- Birmingham New Street – Crewe (1 train per hour)
Ticketing arrangements
Passengers with Advance, Anytime or Off-Peak tickets for travel on 16 or 18 March can instead use their ticket on the day before the date on the ticket or up to and including Tuesday 21 March. They can also have their ticket refunded with no fee if the train that the ticket is booked for is cancelled, delayed or rescheduled.
Tickets for travel on 30 March or 1 April can instead use their ticket on the day before the date on the ticket or up to and including Tuesday 4 April.
If the Advance ticket is for a train that is scheduled for a strike day is not cancelled, delayed or rescheduled, but a customer prefers not to travel, they should contact their ticket retailer. Customers with 2 x Advance tickets (an outbound and a return), to be used as a return journey, may be able to get a fee-free refund or change of journey for any unused legs/tickets, if either of the legs is scheduled for a strike day. Customers should check with their ticket retailer.
Passengers with season tickets (flexi, monthly or longer), who do not travel, can claim 100% compensation for the strike dates through Delay Repay.
Why are South Western railway not listed?
https://www.southwesternrailway.com/plan-my-journey/industrial-action