West Midlands Railway has warned passengers to expect a 'significantly reduced service' on Friday, July 31, and Saturday, August 1, due to strike action by members of the TSSA trade union. The network will face a teatime shutdown on the first day of industrial action, with no trains running past 7pm.
Routes with no service on both days
According to West Midlands Railway, there will be no service on the following routes on Friday, July 31, and Saturday, August 1:
- All routes via Birmingham Snow Hill
- Camp Hill Line
- Nuneaton - Leamington Spa
- Birmingham New Street - Hereford
- Birmingham New Street - Shrewsbury
Limited service on other routes
A limited service will operate on other routes across the two days:
- Cross City Line (Lichfield - Redditch/Bromsgrove via Birmingham New Street) – 4 trains per hour
- Wolverhampton - Walsall via Birmingham New Street – 2 trains per hour
- Rugeley Trent Valley – Birmingham International via Birmingham New Street - 2 trains per hour
Final departure times on Friday, July 31
West Midlands Railway confirmed that no trains would run past 7pm on Friday. Final departure times are as follows:
- Birmingham New Street - Lichfield Trent Valley - 4.36pm
- Lichfield Trent Valley - Birmingham New Street - 5.38pm
- Birmingham New Street - Four Oaks - 5.46pm
- Birmingham New Street - Redditch - 4.15pm
- Redditch - Birmingham New Street - 5.01pm
- Birmingham New Street - Bromsgrove - 4.53pm
- Bromsgrove - Birmingham New Street - 5.29pm
- Birmingham New Street - Walsall - 5.30pm
- Walsall - Birmingham New Street - 6.21pm
- Birmingham New Street - Wolverhampton - 6.11pm
- Wolverhampton - Birmingham New Street - 6.28pm
- Birmingham New Street - Rugeley Trent Valley - 4.15pm
- Rugeley Trent Valley - Birmingham New Street - 4.50pm
- Birmingham New Street - Hednesford - 5.15pm
- Hednesford - Birmingham New Street - 6.02pm
- Birmingham New Street - Birmingham International - 6.06pm
- Birmingham International - Birmingham New Street - 6.04pm
On Saturday, August 1, services will start later than usual from 7am, with early morning services not running.
London Northwestern Railway services
London Northwestern Railway said there would be no service on the Marston Vale Line (Bedford - Bletchley) on Friday, July 31. A limited service will operate on the following routes:
- Birmingham – Liverpool – two trains per hour
- London Euston – Crewe – one train per hour
- Birmingham – London Euston via Northampton – two trains per hour
- Milton Keynes – London Euston – two trains per hour
- Watford Junction – St Albans Abbey – one train per hour
- Stafford – Crewe via Stoke-on-Trent – one train per hour
No trains will run past 7pm on Friday, with final departures significantly earlier. Key final departure times include:
- Birmingham New Street - Liverpool Lime Street - 3.34pm
- Liverpool Lime Street - Birmingham New Street - 5.10pm
- London Euston - Crewe - 3.46pm
- Crewe - London Euston - 2.13pm
- Birmingham New Street - London Euston - 3.06pm
- London Euston - Birmingham New Street - 3.56pm
- Watford Junction - St Albans Abbey - 5.15pm
- Stafford - Crewe - 6.11pm
On Saturday, August 1, a limited service will run on the same routes, starting from 7am. No service on the Marston Vale Line.
Ticket refunds and alternative travel
Customers holding tickets for cancelled trains can return them to the place of purchase for a full refund with no administration fee. Alternatively, tickets dated July 31 or August 1 can be used on alternative West Midlands Railway or London Northwestern Railway services from Wednesday, July 29, up to and including Monday, August 3.
