Only 20% of rail services will be able to run on Network Rail’s Western route on the upcoming strike days with most trains starting later and finishing much earlier than usual.

The National Union of Rail, Maritime, and Transport Workers (RMT) and the TSSA union have announced strike action will take place on Thursday (18 August) and Saturday (20 August), with severe disruption expected and some routes completely closed across the whole of the UK.

Great Western Railway (GWR) will be running a significantly reduced number of trains on the Western route with a revised timetable in place. Specially trained and fully qualified back-up staff will again step in during the walkout to keep vital services running.

On Thursday 18 August no rail services will operate on the following routes:

On Friday 19 August trains will continue to be disrupted and will start later. There will be a reduced level of service throughout the day. Passengers are being advised to check before setting out.

The strikes are set to continue for a further 2 days after this, impacting services until the beginning of the week. Some strikes will even shut down entire stations, like the strike taking place at Bristol Temple Meads On Saturday 20 August.

Railway queues
Expect delays and train cancellations. (GWR)

On the 20th of August no rail services will operate on the following routes:

There are also worries that services may still be disrupted after these strikes as workers come back to their roles.

Mike Gallop, route director at Network Rail Western said: “It’s really disappointing that we’re having to ask passengers, once again, not to travel by train for two days due to unnecessary strike action.

“We’ll be running as many services as we safely can for those who absolutely need to travel by train, but we are urging everyone to plan ahead, check their journey and expect severe disruption.”

Passengers can get ticket refunds if they are unable to travel on the strike days and can also use their tickets on alternative days. Passengers should check with their train operator for more details and go to https://www.nationalrail.co.uk/ for travel updates.