Only travel if necessary and expect severe disruption, GWR warns as RMT strikes set to impact trains all week

Train operator GWR has announced its planned timetable to operate next week as industrial action by the RMT union at train operators across the industry and Network Rail is expected to severely affect services from 21 to 25 June.

GWR is warning people to expect severe disruption and to only travel by rail if absolutely necessary.

GWR will operate as many trains as possible during the strike action however, most train services will be affected on the days announced. Due to the timing of the strike action, services in between strike days will also be affected.

On strike days the operator is aiming to provide about 30% of its usual timetabled services, and about 50% on non-strike days.

GWR Managing Director Mark Hopwood said:

“We very much welcome the opportunity to continue to talk with the RMT to avert strike action. Any strike will impact on customers’ journeys and can only damage the post-covid recovery everyone at GWR has been working to win back, while at the same time making it more difficult to deliver the changes we need to secure jobs and services for the future. 

“I’m hopeful the RMT will step back, however colleagues have been working hard to put contingency plans in place and give certainty to customers who need to travel. The priority will be to keep trains running and customers moving safely, but changes will be needed to allow that to happen and customers may wish to alter their plans.” 

Where trains are able to run, they are expected to be extremely busy and replacement bus services are not able to be provided.

On the days of strike action, 21, 23 and 25 June, GWR expects to only be able to operate services along the following routes and stations:

On days when strike action is not taking place GWR expects to be able to operate the following reduced, service:

Online journey checkers are expected to be updated with the latest timetable information on the following dates:

Customers who have already purchased tickets can claim a full refund or can amend their ticket; those who travel and are delayed may be entitled to delay repay compensation if they are delayed by 15 mins or more. Season ticket holders can apply for compensation through the Delay Repay scheme.



To help customers, GWR is allowing people with tickets for travel on strike days to be able to travel on the day before and up to two days after. 





Our Refund and Book with Confidence policies will remain in place and we will update this page with more information if the current situation changes.