Rail disruption as strike action begins
West Midlands RailwayCommuters are facing "significant disruption" on the trains as planned strikes by rail union members working for West Midlands Railway begin.
On Friday and Saturday, members of the TSSA trade union at the rail operator, are staging a walkout over rest day working payments.
It means a "limited service" is in operation across West Midlands Railway (WMR) services on a reduced timetable throughout the day, as well as no trains running after 19:00 BST on Friday and starting after 07:00 on Saturday.
WMR said it was doing all it could to "minimise the impact as far as possible", advising customers to only travel if necessary.
Routes with a limited service on those days are:
- Cross City Line (Lichfield Trent Valley – Redditch / Bromsgrove via Birmingham New Street) – two trains per hour
- Wolverhampton – Walsall via Birmingham New Street – one train per hour
- Rugeley Trent Valley – Birmingham International via Birmingham New Street – one train per hour
No trains are due to run on any other WMR route, including via Birmingham Snow Hill, the Camp Hill line, Shrewsbury line, Hereford line and between Nuneaton and Leamington Spa.
Limited services will include one train an hour between Birmingham-Liverpool and Birmingham-Northampton-Milton Keynes-London Euston.
TSSA said it had balloted more than a 100 members, including roster clerks, who would walk out from midnight on Thursday for 24 hours.
It also includes duty train crew managers and control staff would strike from noon on Friday to midday on Saturday.
Customers who had already purchased tickets can change them to another date or refunded if trains are cancelled, delayed or if they choose not to travel.
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