Strikes will see no train services through Salisbury
There's expected to be disruption across the weekend
People in Wiltshire are being urged to only to travel by rail if absolutely necessary on Saturday 1st and Sunday 2nd October due to the planned RMT and TSSA industrial action.
We are being told to severe disruption on the network, with no South Western Railway or Great Western Railway trains through Salisbury.
Significant parts of the network will be closed entirely and those trains that are running will be far less frequent and much busier compared to normal.
Due to the impact of the strike day, customers are also urged only to travel if absolutely necessary on Sunday 2nd, when first trains will start much later than usual across the network and are likely to be very busy.
Staff at Network Rail, more than 2,100 SWR members of the RMT union, and SWR members of the TSSA union are set to take strike action on Saturday 1 October, causing severe disruption.
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 Saturday 1 October, and will consist of:
• Two trains per hour in each direction between London Waterloo and Feltham
• Two semi-fast trains per hour in each direction between London Waterloo and Basingstoke
• Four trains per hour in each direction between London Waterloo and Woking
• Two fast trains per hour in each direction between London Waterloo and Southampton Central
Trains will not stop at all the stations on these routes.
GWR will run:
Rail services will only operate on the following routes, between:
- Bristol Temple Meads and London Paddington
- Reading and Didcot
- Reading and Basingstoke
South Western Railway’s Performance and Planning Director, Steve Tyler, said:
“I’m sorry that due to strike action we must urge our customers to only travel if absolutely necessary on Saturday 1 October and Sunday 2 October. Those needing to travel should seek to do so by other means.
“Large parts of our network will be closed on the strike day and there will be a late start up on the morning after. Those who must travel are urged to carefully check the times of first and last trains and avoid them if possible as they are likely to be very busy.
“We are grateful to our customers for their continued cooperation, patience, and understanding as the rail industry works to bring this damaging nationwide strike action to an end.”
What's happening with the strikes on Wednesday?
SWR drivers will not be involved in the planned ASLEF strike action on Wednesday 5th October.
However, GWR will be and once again there will be no GWR services through Salisbury.