Strikes set to cause rail disruption in Wales
RAIL passengers are being warned that the majority of train services across the Wales and Borders network will not run this Saturday because of ongoing industrial action.
The National Union of Rail, Maritime, and Transport Workers (RMT) has announced strike action on Saturday, October 8, across Network Rail and 15 train operators. Aslef has also announced strike action today, across 12 train operators.
Transport for Wales is not involved in the industrial action but the knock-on effect means it is unable to operate a number of rail services on the Network Rail infrastructure on Saturday, and is preparing for some services to be busier than usual today.
Great Western Railway has also warned that on the strike days “train services will be severely disrupted and some parts of the GWR network will have no train service at all”, with a spokesman adding: “Train services on the days following the industrial action will also be disrupted.”
The GWR spokesman added that on strike days an extremely limited service would operate between 7.30am and 6.30pm and the last trains would leave much earlier. He added: “Where we are able to run services, they are expected to be extremely busy and we are not able to provide bus replacement services. Online journey planners will be updated with the latest timetable information as soon as possible.”
The only services operating will be on the Core Valley Lines in
South Wales and a Cardiff to Newport shuttle, with one train operating hourly in each direction between 7.30am and 6.30pm.
No other TFW services across Wales and the Borders network will be able to operate.
No trains will run before 7am on these days and those trains that do run are likely to be much busier than usual, particularly the first services of the day. There is also expected to be disruption to services due to trains being displaced from the previous day’s strike action.
TFW is warning that today’s services are likely to be extremely busy as a result of the severely reduced timetable put in place by other operators.
This includes services between Carmarthen and Newport.