Rail strikes will see no SWR trains running from Weymouth
Three days of planned strike action will take place next week
South Western Railway say no passenger trains will be running from Weymouth during next week's rail strikes.
Network Rail has confirmed which lines will be affected by the industrial action next Tuesday 21, Thursday 23 and Saturday 25 June.
South Western Railway are urging customers to only travel if absolutely necessary.
SWR say customers should expect severe disruption and, if they have to travel, should seek to do so by other means.
SWR have published their strike day timetable, which will provide a very limited service on the routes Network Rail have made available. The reduced timetable will see significant parts of the network closed entirely and those trains that are running will be far less frequent compared to normal.
Network Rail and more than 2,100 SWR RMT members are set to take strike action on Tuesday 21, Thursday 23 and Saturday 25 June. Network Rail will provide contingency cover for critical roles including electrical control room operators, signallers, maintenance and response teams, but will not be able to cover the whole day.
SWR’s reduced timetable will run from 07:15 to 18:30 on the three strike days, and will consist of:
• Four trains per hour in each direction between Waterloo and Windsor via Hounslow
• Two semi-fast trains per hour in each direction between Waterloo and Basingstoke
• Four trains per hour in each direction between Waterloo and Woking
• Two fast trains per hour in each direction between Waterloo and Southampton
NB - Trains will not stop at all stations on these routes.
Island Line services will not be affected by the industrial action
There will be no SWR services across the rest of the network.
Disruption on none strike days
Significant disruption is also expected on Wednesday 22, Friday 24 and Sunday 26 June, when the network will not be operational before 07:30 and a Sunday level of service will operate throughout the day.
South Western Railway’s Managing Director, Claire Mann, said:
“The sheer scale of this planned industrial action severely limits the number of trains we can run and routes we can serve, which is reflected in the reduced timetable we have published today.
“With this disruption set to be so considerable, I regretfully urge customers to only travel by rail if absolutely necessary between Tuesday 21 and Sunday 26 June.
“I am sorry these strikes will cause such disruption and am grateful to our customers for their patience and understanding as the rail industry works to bring this damaging nationwide action to an end.”
Network Rail route director Mark Killick said:
“We’re so sorry for the disruption next week and we know how difficult this will be for our customers so soon after the pandemic. We’ve trained 250 staff so we can keep some of the busiest lines open, focussing our resources on the routes that can keep the largest numbers of customers and freight moving and serving vital locations such as hospitals. That said, we will not compromise on safety and the strike does mean that large parts of the network will be closed.
“We are continuing to work with unions to find a solution and will keep doing so. But we also have to be honest and accept that we have to change the way we work, to reflect the changes in society and travel patterns post pandemic. Again, I’d like to apologise to everyone who find their journeys disrupted next week and urge our customers to check before they travel.”
Customers are urged to check the SWR website for latest information