Train operators have announced reduced services during planned strike action later this month.
Commuters across Oxfordshire will be severely impacted on June 21, 23 and 25 by the National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers industrial action.
Both Great Western Railway (GWR) and Chiltern Railways have warned of “severe disruption” and urged people “only travel by rail if absolutely necessary”, due to “limited availability of staff”.
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Changes to GWR
On the days of strike action, 21, 23 and 25 June, GWR expects to only be able to operate services along the following routes and stations:
On days when strike action is not taking place GWR expects to be able to operate the following reduced, service:
GWR Managing Director Mark Hopwood said: “We very much welcome the opportunity to continue to talk with the RMT to avert strike action.
"Any strike will impact on customers’ journeys and can only damage the post-covid recovery everyone at GWR has been working to win back, while at the same time making it more difficult to deliver the changes we need to secure jobs and services for the future.
“I’m hopeful the RMT will step back, however colleagues have been working hard to put contingency plans in place and give certainty to customers who need to travel.
"The priority will be to keep trains running and customers moving safely, but changes will be needed to allow that to happen and customers may wish to alter their plans.”
Changes to Chiltern Railways
The service will be extremely limited, with the following service pattern from Tuesday 21st June to Saturday 25th June;
- Between Banbury - Birmingham: No trains in either direction
- Between London - Banbury: One train per hour in each direction
- Between London - Oxford: No trains in either direction
- Between London - Aylesbury via High Wycombe: One train per hour in each direction
- Between Aylesbury - Amersham: One train per hour in each direction (except Tuesday 21st June when there will be no service on this route)
- Between London – Aylesbury via Amersham: No trains in either direction.
There will be no Chiltern services north of Banbury, between Amersham and London on the Metropolitan line, or to Oxford, between Tuesday 21 June and Saturday 25 June.
Due to industrial action, there will be a very limited train service
— Chiltern Railways (@chilternrailway) June 15, 2022
Between 21st-25th June. Please only travel by train
if absolutely essential. If you are travelling, expect severe disruption and please
plan ahead. Visit https://t.co/rIVCP7HLKx
The strike coincides with the planned weekday Network Rail engineering work outside Birmingham Moor Street between Monday 20th June – Thursday 23rd June. These works are going ahead, and consequently there will be no services between Birmingham Moor Street and Birmingham Snow Hill or Solihull during that time.
On strike days services will start much later and finish much earlier than normal. The service will start from around 0730, with morning trains not arriving in London until after 0900. In the afternoon, the last trains will be much earlier than normal, with the last trains from Marylebone running at the following times;
Additionally, the railway will be closed between Dorridge and Birmingham Moor Street due to essential mid-week engineering works on Monday 20 June.
Changes to Cross Country
Cross Country has not published its routes yet.
The Oxford Mail has approached the company for the timetable.
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Read more from this author
This story was written by Sophie Perry. She joined the team in 2021 as a digital reporter.
You can get in touch with her by emailing: sophie.perry@newsquest.co.uk
Follow her on Twitter @itssophieperry
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