How are rail strikes affecting the Midlands today?

RMT Union members at 14 train operators are walking out today.

Author: Alan Jones, PA Industrial Correspondent and Claire HawthornPublished 16th Mar 2023

Train services will be crippled on Thursday because of a fresh strike by rail workers as the wave of industrial action continues to spread across the country.

Passengers were being warned to expect disruption, and again on future strike dates on Saturday, March 30 and April 1.

Trains that do run will start later and finish much earlier than usual - typically between 7.30am and 6.30pm.

It is expected that nationally between 40-50% of train services will run, but there will be wide variations across the network, with no services at all in some areas.

Here is a breakdown of each operator's plan for strike days in the Midlands:

  • Avanti West Coast

One train per hour will run in both directions between London Euston and each of Birmingham, Liverpool, Manchester and Preston.

  • CrossCountry

No direct services will run to and from Birmingham New Street and locations such as Cambridge, Cardiff, Nottingham, Peterborough, Plymouth and Stansted Airport.

  • East Midlands Railway

On Thursday just one train per hour will run in each direction between London St Pancras and each of Corby, Nottingham and Sheffield.

There will be the same frequency between Derby and Matlock, and between Nottingham and each of Derby, Sheffield, Leicester (stopping service) and Mansfield Woodhouse.

On Saturday just one train per hour will run in each direction between Leicester and each of Lincoln, Nottingham and Sheffield, and between London St Pancras and both Kettering and Corby.

There will be the same frequency between Derby and Matlock; and between Nottingham and each of Derby, Sheffield, Mansfield Woodhouse and Grantham.

  • London Northwestern Railway

A limited timetable will operate only on these routes: between Birmingham New Street and each of Northampton via Coventry, Birmingham International via local stations, and Crewe.

-West Midlands Railway

A limited timetable will operate only on these routes: between Lichfield Trent Valley and Redditch/Bromsgrove via Birmingham New Street, and between Birmingham New Street and Wolverhampton via local stations.

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