Rail strikes October 2022: How strikes will affect Birmingham New Street and services still running

Train services across the country came to halt on Wednesday, as train drivers represented by Aslef came together to strike for better pay and conditions.

Many Conservative party conference attendees had to leave Birmingham early to avoid being caught up in the travel chaos, as services once again ground to a halt. Around 40,000 members of the RMT will follow suit this Saturday, October 8, as people in the West Midlands are being urged to avoid travel unless ‘absolutely necessary’.

Here’s everything you need to know about the rail strikes in Birmingham and the West Midlands this weekend.

Network Rail have confirmed the trains that do run on Saturday will start later in the morning and finish much earlier in the evening. There will be no trains at all across parts of the network.

Passengers are also advised that there is likely to be some disruption in the early morning of Sunday, October 9, as workers return to duties.

Will Birmingham New Street and other stations be open?

Birmingham New Street was closed on Wednesday (October 5), but the station will be open on Saturday, although it will only be operating a reduced service. Only 20% of trains will be running from New Street on Saturday.

Birmingham Snow Hill will be open on Saturday but only for access to the car park. No trains will be running to or from the station.

Chiltern Railways have confirmed that Birmingham Moor Street will also be closed on Saturday with no services running to or from the station.

The RMT’s second strike day will see a reduced rail service in operation. Last trains will leave stations between 3pm and 5pm with final arrivals by 6.30pm. Although not participating in strike action, there may be service updates to the Caledonian Sleeper timetable.

Whch train companies will be running in the region?

West Midlands Trains

A significantly reduced timetable will be running on Saturday, between the hours of 7.30am and 6.30pm on the below routes only.

Routes where a very limited service will be in operation (between 7.30am and 6.30pm only):

• Cross City line (between Lichfield - Birmingham - Bromsgrove / Redditch)
• Birmingham New Street - Wolverhampton via local stations, and Birmingham New Street - Crewe
• Birmingham New Street - Birmingham International, Coventry - Northampton and Northampton - London Euston (due to engineering works, buses replace trains between Birmingham International - Coventry on Saturday 8 and Sunday 9 October 2022)

Cross Country Trains

CrossCountry will run a special industrial action timetable on Saturday. There will be 1 train per hour from:

• Birmingham to York
• Manchester to Banbury (not calling at Birmingham International or Coventry due to engineering work)
• Birmingham to Leicester

There will be no other CrossCountry services operating on Saturday 8 October.

Great Western Railway

An extremely limited service will operate. Services will start at 07:30 and all journeys must be completed before 18:30.

No services will run in the West Midlands.

Avanti West Coast

A connection to Birmingham New Street is available on Saturday via a West Midlands Trains service from Rugby to Coventry.

A rail replacement bus service between Coventry and Birmingham International, then an onward connection with West Midlands Trains to Birmingham New Street.

Chiltern Railways

No Chiltern services will run on Saturday in the West Midlands. There will be no Chiltern Railways service North of Banbury, nor to/from Oxford.

East Midlands Trains

No services will run east out of Nottingham from Wednesday up to and including Saturday

What’s been said about the strikes?

Tim Shoveller, Network Rail’s chief negotiator, said: “Despite our best efforts to compromise and find a breakthrough in talks, rail unions remain intent on continuing and coordinating their strike action. This means railway staff forgo even more of their pay unnecessarily, passengers’ lives are disrupted once again and the railway’s recovery from the pandemic is further damaged.

“We’re asking passengers who want to travel this Saturday to only do so if absolutely necessary. Those who must travel should expect disruption and make sure they check when their last train will depart.”

Daniel Mann, director of industry operations at the Rail Delivery Group, said: “These strikes continue to disrupt leisure travellers, shift workers and undermine the many businesses who are struggling with rising costs and reduced footfall. Further action by the RMT and TSSA leadership will only damage the railway’s recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic.

“We want to give our people a pay rise, but we need the leadership of trade unions to make a commitment to reform, which is how we can improve services and deliver a fair deal for our people, passengers and for taxpayers.

“While some rail companies are not involved in the strike, services are likely to severely disrupted as around one in five trains will be running, so passengers should check the latest travel advice before setting off. Passengers with advance, off-peak or anytime tickets affected by the strikes on 8 October can use their ticket on the day before the booked date, or up to and including 11 October. Passengers can also change their tickets to travel on an alternate date or get a refund if their train is cancelled or rescheduled.”

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