Further Rail Strikes Announced for Next Two Weekends

Published on: 24 Sep, 2022
Updated on: 25 Sep, 2022

By Martin Giles

South Western Railway (SWR) is urging customers only to travel by rail if absolutely necessary next Saturday, October 1 and Sunday, October 2 due to the planned industrial action by RMT and TSSA (Transport Salaried Staffs’ Association).

Network Rail has also warned of industrial action during the following week and on the following weekend October 8-9.

As on previous strike days, it appears there will be no rail services from Guildford. The nearest limited services will operate on the Waterloo, Woking and Southampton line.

In the Network Rail statement, it says: “During industrial action, there will be a very limited service on Saturday 1st, Wednesday 5th and Saturday, October 8th, with no services at all in some places. On Saturday, October 1st, only about 11 per cent of services will operate.

“Please only travel by train if your journey is absolutely necessary, plan ahead and check before you travel.”

“On the days that follow strike action (Sunday 2nd, Thursday 6th and Sunday October 9th), you should also expect disruption due to the knock-on impact of industrial action on shift patterns.”

RMT general secretary Mick Lynch said that it was encouraging that the new Transport Secretary Anne-Marie Trevelyan MP had met with the union.

RMT is the acronym for the National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers

“We welcome this more positive approach from the government to engage with us as a first step to finding a suitable settlement.

“However, as no new offer has been tabled, our members have no choice but to continue this strike action

“We will continue to negotiate in good faith, but the employers and government need to understand our industrial campaign will continue for as long as it takes.”

Customers are being advised to expect severe disruption on the network and, if they must travel on either of those days, should seek to do so by other means.

SWR has published its strike day service levels for Saturday, October 1, which will provide a severely reduced service on the routes Network Rail has made available.

Staff at Network Rail, more than 2,100 SWR members of the RMT union, and SWR members of the TSSA union are set to take part in strike action.

Network Rail will provide contingency cover for critical roles including electrical control room operators, signallers, maintenance, and response teams, but will not be able to cover the whole day.

SWR’s reduced timetable on Saturday, October 1 will include:

Four trains per hour in each direction between London Waterloo and Woking
First train from Waterloo for Woking will leave at 07.15am
Last train from Waterloo for Woking will leave at 17.45pm
First train from Woking to Waterloo 07.18am
Last train from Woking to Waterloo 07.48am

Trains will not stop at all the stations on these routes. There will be no SWR services across the rest of the network.

SWR drivers will not be involved in the planned ASLEF strike action on Saturday, October 1 and Wednesday the 5th. However, customers should check before they travel, as their connections with other operators might be impacted, or not run at all.

South Western Railway’s Performance and Planning Director, Steve Tyler, said: “I’m sorry that due to strike action we must urge our customers to only travel if absolutely necessary on Saturday October 1 and Sunday, October 2. Those needing to travel should seek to do so by other means.

“Large parts of our network will be closed on the strike day and there will be a late start-up on the morning after. Those who must travel are urged to carefully check the times of the first and last trains and avoid them if possible as they are likely to be very busy.

“We are grateful to our customers for their continued cooperation, patience, and understanding as the rail industry works to bring this damaging nationwide strike action to an end.”

Customers are urged to check the SWR website for the latest information here.

Special timetables for Saturday 1 and Wednesday October 5 will be published on National Rail in the week commencing September 26, while the timetable for October 8 will be published early in the week commencing 3 October.

More information is available at: www.southwesternrailway.com/strike. Journey planners are likely to be updated 2-4 days in advance of the strike period.