Birmingham train strike: new service timetables for WMR, AWC and CrossCountry as rail worker action to begin

The UK is gearing up for the biggest rail strike in almost 30 years, with Network Rail expecting half of the nation’s lines to be closed.

The three days of action will see a skeleton timetable in place for the majority of services, and disruption is also expected for the days in between the days of strike action.

The train companies which operate services through Birmingham have released reduced timetables which will be used during the days of strike action.

West Midlands Railway

West Midlands Railway operates services throughout the region, including to and from Shrewsbury, Hereford and Worcester from Birmingham.

The following routes will have a limited service in operation between 7.30am and 6.30pm on strike days:

• Cross-City Line (Lichfield Trent Valley – Redditch/Bromsgrove via Birmingham New Street) – 2 trains per hour
• Wolverhampton – Birmingham – 1 train per hour
• Birmingham New Street – Birmingham International – 1 train per hour

On the strike days, no trains will run on any other WMR route, including all routes via Birmingham Snow Hill, Birmingham-Shrewsbury, Birmingham-Worcester-Hereford and Nuneaton-Leamington Spa.

Jonny Wiseman, WMR customer experience director, said: “We will be operating a very limited service all through the week and we are asking customers to only travel with us if their journey is essential and no other transport option is available to them.

“Passengers holding tickets or season tickets will be entitled to refunds and should visit our website for information.”

Avanti West Coast

The company, which connects Birmingham to London and the West coast of the country, has issued timetables for two of the three days of strike action.

According to the timetable, which can be viewed through Avanti West Coast website, there will be one service per hour running from London Euston to Birmingham New Street.

This service will also stop at Birmingham International.

A spokesperson said: “On strike days (21, 23 and 25 June), we plan to run one train per hour from Euston to each of Manchester, Liverpool, Birmingham and Preston, with a limited service onwards to Glasgow.

“These trains will operate during limited hours, with the first train of the day departing Euston just before 8am and the last train of the day from Euston departing mid-afternoon.”

Cross Country

Connecting Birmingham to Manchester, Cardiff, London and dozens of other locations, Cross Country will be operating one service an hour on the mainline between Birmingham New Street and London Euston.

The Manchester Piccadilly to Birmingham New Street line is also badly affected, with an hourly service in place.

The last Crosscountry train from Manchester to Birmingham  is shortly before 3.30pm.

On the strike days, there will be no Crosscountry services between Birmingham New Street and Cardiff or Birmingham New Street and Nottingham.

Visit the Crosscountry website for full timetable information.

The strike action will also have an impact on tickets, and a Crosscountry spokesperson said: “Customers with Anytime, Off-Peak or Advance tickets dated June 21, June 23 or June 25 are permitted to travel the day before and up to two days after the date on their ticket.

“If you have a ticket to travel on June 21, June 23 or June 25 this is also valid for travel from today up to and including 20 June, if you wish to travel earlier.

“You will need to travel at a similar time to your original ticket, following any time restrictions associated with it.”