Train strikes are set to cause significant disruption for travellers using London Euston station this week, as staff from the TSSA union walk out over rest-day working payments. Services operated by London Northwestern Railway (LNR) and West Midlands Trains (WMT) will face cancellations and reduced timetables from July 9 to 11.
Strike Details and Timings
The industrial action begins at midnight on Thursday, July 9, with roster clerks striking for 24 hours. At noon on Friday, duty train crew managers and control grades will not book on for duties until noon on Saturday, July 11, according to the TSSA union. The union said the action is over rest-day working payments, aiming to give its members parity with other unions.
Impact on Services
West Midlands Railway (WMR) has warned of a "very limited service" on Friday and Saturday, with no trains running after 7pm on Friday and services starting at 7am on Saturday. Limited services will operate on three routes: the Cross City Line (Lichfield Trent Valley – Redditch / Bromsgrove via Birmingham New Street) with two trains per hour; Wolverhampton – Walsall via Birmingham New Street with one train per hour; and Rugeley Trent Valley – Birmingham International via Birmingham New Street with one train per hour. No trains will run on any other WMR route, including those via Birmingham Snow Hill, the Camp Hill line, services between Nuneaton and Leamington Spa, and services from Birmingham New Street to Hereford and Shrewsbury.
London Northwestern Railway services will also be disrupted, with one train per hour on Birmingham-Liverpool services and Birmingham-Northampton-Milton Keynes-London Euston services. No trains will run on any other LNR route, including those via The Potteries (Stafford - Crewe via Stoke-on-Trent). LNR advised passengers to check their journeys before travelling on these dates.
Reactions from Both Sides
Jonny Wiseman, WMR customer experience director, expressed disappointment over the strike action: "We are disappointed TSSA has called further unnecessary strike action which is set to cause significant disruption for our customers. We are working hard to reach a resolution to this dispute and urge TSSA to continue talks." He added that the company is doing everything possible to minimise the impact and will run a significantly reduced timetable on both dates if the strike goes ahead.
TSSA general secretary Maryam Eslamdoust defended the strike, calling the demand for parity "perfectly reasonable": "These strikes will go ahead as planned because our members have not been given parity with those in other unions – a perfectly reasonable demand. Our reps at West Midlands Trains have consulted the membership, and they remain determined to proceed with their legitimate action." She noted that the last round of industrial action caused a significant impact on services and warned that similar disruption is expected this time.
Background and Context
The dispute centres on rest-day working payments, with TSSA seeking equal treatment for its members compared to other unions. The union stated that it only takes strike action as a last resort and hopes demands can be met to avoid further disruption. Passengers are advised to check with operators before travelling and to expect significant delays and cancellations on affected routes.
