Rail services to be severely disrupted this weekend as drivers strike

On Saturday an extremely limited service will operate between 0700 and 1900, and last trains will leave much earlier. Due to the timing of the strike action, services on Sunday will also be significantly affected.

Passengers are advised to find alternative ways to travel on these days. Only travel if absolutely necessary, and check your journey before travelling. 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 the following travel advice is in place over the strike period:

Friday 29 July

A normal timetable will operate.

Saturday 30 July

Most parts of the GWR network will have no train service. Please make alternative travel arrangements and only travel if absolutely necessary. An extremely limited service will only operate on the routes below. Services will start later and finish much earlier than normal:

• Bristol Temple Meads to London Paddington
• Reading to Oxford
• Reading to Basingstoke

No other GWR services will run.

Sunday 31 July

Trains will continue to be disrupted. Please make alternative travel arrangements and only travel if absolutely necessary. Services will start later and finish earlier than normal and are expected to be extremely busy. There will be no service on the following routes:

• Swindon to Gloucester
• Oxford to Worcester/Hereford

A reduced service frequency will operate on other long-distance routes:

• London Paddington to Bristol Temple Meads
• London Paddington to Swansea
• London Paddington to Plymouth/Penzance (inc via the Kennet Valley)
• London Paddington to Oxford

Local services will start later than usual but will run to their usual frequency.

Monday 1 August

A normal timetable will operate.

Customers who have already purchased tickets for travel on the strike day 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. They are 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.

The company is working to update journey planners with the changes to the timetable as soon as it can. Online journey checkers are expected to be updated with the latest timetable information as per below:

GWR’s refund policy and Book with Confidence policy remain in place. 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.

Aslef has announced a further strike date for Saturday 13 August, and the RMT has announced strike dates on Thursday 18 and Saturday 20 August. Travel advice for those dates will be published closer to the time.

Notes to editors

First Greater Western Limited, trading as “Great Western Railway” (GWR), operates trains across the Great Western franchise area, which includes South Wales, the West Country, the Cotswolds, across southern England and into London. GWR provides high speed, commuter, regional and branch line train services, and before the covid-19 pandemic helped over 100 million passengers reach their destinations every year. GWR has been awarded a National Rail Contract to continue operating the Great Western network, which shall run up to 21 June 2025, with the potential for a further three years at the Secretary of State’s discretion. Find out more here: https://www.gwr.com/about-us