Rail services to be severely affected this week as strike action looms

On both strike days (Wednesday 27 and Saturday 30 July) an extremely limited service will operate between 0700 and 1830, and last trains will leave much earlier. On non-strike days, no services will run before 0700. Due to the timing of the strike action, services either side of the strike days will also be affected up to and including Sunday 31 July. 

Passengers are advised to find alternative ways to travel during the strike period. Only travel if absolutely necessary. The majority of train services will not operate and there will be no services on some routes. 

GWR will operate as many trains as possible during the strike action, however, most train services will be affected on the days announced.

No rail services will operate on Wednesday 27 July on the following routes: 

• All lines in Cornwall, including all branch lines
• Beyond (west of) Exeter towards Plymouth / Cornwall (due to no contingency signallers)
• All branch lines in Devon (Barnstaple, Exmouth, Paignton, Okehampton) 
• South Wales main line (Carmarthen/Swansea-Cardiff Central) 
• Berks & Hants line (Reading-Taunton via Castle Cary) 
• Wessex main line (Bath Spa-Portsmouth Harbour) 
• Heart of Wessex line (Westbury-Weymouth) 
• TransWilts line (Swindon-Westbury via Melksham) 
• Severn Beach line (Bristol Temple Meads-Severn Beach) 
• North Cotswolds line (Hereford/Worcester-Oxford) 
• South Cotswolds line (Cheltenham Spa-Swindon) 
• Worcester/-Gloucester-Bristol 
• Greenford branch line 
• North Downs line (Reading-Gatwick Airport) 

With train drivers set to strike on Saturday 30 July, GWR expects to operate even fewer services on the second of the two strike days.

On Saturday an extremely limited service will only operate on the routes below. Services will also start later and finish much earlier than normal.

• Bristol Temple Meads-London Paddington
• Bristol Temple Meads-Cardiff Central
• Reading to Oxford
• Reading to Basingstoke

No other GWR services will run.

Customers who have already purchased tickets can claim a full refund or amend their ticket; those who travel and are delayed may be entitled to delay repay compensation if they are delayed by 15 minutes or more. Season ticket holders can apply for compensation through the Delay Repay scheme. 
 
Where GWR is able to run services, they are expected to be extremely busy. The train operator is not able to provide bus replacement services.  

 
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 and including Tuesday 2 August.  

 
We are working to update journey planners with the changes to our timetable as soon as we are able to. Online journey checkers are expected to be updated with the latest timetable information as per below: 

The company's refund policy and Book with Confidence policy will remain in place and we will update this page with more information if the current situation changes. If you hold a return ticket, you can claim a refund of your full fare, even if only one leg of your journey is affected.

For the very latest information please visit: www.gwr.com/strike

The RMT has also announced further strike dates on Thursday 18 and Saturday 20 August.