CrossCountry faces disruption despite strike being called off
The rail operator says it wasn't able to revert its timetables back to normal in time
Last updated 18th Oct 2025
CrossCountry is warning passengers they'll still face significant disruption across its network today, despite strike action being suspended.
The Rail, Maritime and Transport Union (RMT) called off its planned walkout yesterday (Friday 17th October 2025), but confirmed a strike called for November remains in place.
An RMT spokesperson said:
"We have suspended strike action this Saturday after making progress in talks.
"We are still in dispute and seeking a negotiated settlement."
CrossCountry's managing director, Shiona Rolfe, said:
"Though we are pleased to have made progress in our negotiations with RMT colleagues, I am sincerely sorry for the significant disruption that customers will nonetheless experience this Saturday October 18.
"Timetabling processes require train operators to finalise planned services several days in advance, which means that we are not able to reinstate a normal timetable for CrossCountry services in time for Saturday.
"I would urge all those planning to travel on CrossCountry routes this Saturday to check options to change or cancel their journey at no cost on the CrossCountry website."
Affected stations and routes - Saturday 18th October 2025
No CrossCountry services will call at Coventry, Wolverhampton, Durham, Chesterfield, Basingstoke, Dunbar, Berwick-upon-Tweed, Alnmouth, Worcestershire Parkway, Wakefield Westgate, or Morpeth, with customers encouraged to instead use shorter-distance services.
Services between Birmingham and Manchester will run every two hours.
Services between Birmingham and Bristol will run every two hours and Bristol and Birmingham every 1.5 hours.
Services between Birmingham, Leeds and York will run every two hours (with two services extending to Edinburgh and two services starting from Edinburgh).
Services between Birmingham and Reading will run every three hours (with one service extending to Southampton).
Services between Reading and Birmingham will run every two hours (with one service starting at Southampton).
There will be no services between Birmingham, Leicester, Cambridge and Stansted and Nottingham to Cardiff. In the Southwest, there will be no services south of Bristol and in Scotland there will be no services north of Edinburgh.