Rail passengers in Wales are braced for another day of disruption on the trains as workers go on strike again as part of a dispute over pay. The national union of Rail, Maritime, and Transport Workers (RMT) will go on strike today (Wednesday, July 27), affecting numerous services across Wales.
Passengers are being warned to check before they travel, with all operators who run services in Wales saying there will be disruption across the majority of services, which won't be limited to strike days. While Transport for Wales isn't involved the dispute, its services will be affected, with the majority of services on the Wales and Borders network suspended on Wednesday
The strikes come around a month after more industrial action shut the majority of train lines in Wales across three days. Those strikes went ahead after last-ditch talks between the RMT, Network Rail and rail operators failed to resolve the bitter dispute over pay, jobs and conditions.
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RMT claims Network Rail wants to cut up to 2,500 jobs as part of a £2bn reduction in spending with workers who maintain tracks, signals and overhead lines affected. Ticket sales have fallen 25% since the pandemic and revenue is falling, while taxpayer subsidy has risen to £16bn to keep services running.
Speaking to WalesOnline, Transport for Wales Managing Director Jan Chaudhry-Van der Velde said that TfW staff would be working as normal on Wednesday, but because Network Rail signallers were striking, large parts of the network would not be open. He added: "We will be running a limited service in the Cardiff valleys and on the Cardiff to Newport corridor. But other than that, no trains will be able to move elsewhere on the network."
Nick Millington, acting route director at Network Rail Wales & Border, said the rail provider was "bitterly disappointed" by the industrial action, adding that a "much reduced" service would be run across the network. He added: "We want to run this train service for for everyone's benefit. Obviously, we need to get a deal that's affordable for everyone, including the people who pay for the railway, and obviously we don't want to disrupt people that use the railway.
"We need to get to a point where we can get a deal. Conversations and negotiations are ongoing but we've not had a breakthrough yet. There are two further strike days announced in August, but we are hoping that we can get a breakthrough with a deal and bring all this to an end so we can restore the railway service soon."
The rail services in Wales affected by strikes on Wednesday, July 27 are as follows:
Transport for Wales services
The majority of rail services across the Wales and Borders network will be suspended because TfW will be unable to operate rail services on Network Rail infrastructure.
On the Wales and Cross-border services, the only services operating will be a Cardiff to Newport shuttle with one train operating hourly in each direction between 7.30am and 6.30pm. No other services will be able to operate. On Core Valley Lines train services will operate between Cardiff Central and Rhymney, Treherbert, Aberdare, and Merthyr Tydfil in an hourly service in each direction between 7.30am and 6.30pm.
Trains will be able to operate between Radyr and Treherbert, Aberdare, and Merthyr Tydfil before 7.30am and after 6.30pm and then up to 8.30pm due to engineering work. Road transport will take customers between Cardiff Central and Radyr in each direction outside of these hours but the warning is there will be extremely limited road transport capacity.
All train and road transport services are expected to be extremely busy due to the reduced service frequency. This is a change from the three days of industrial action in June when rail services started/finished at Radyr. There is also expected to be disruption on the days prior to and after the industrial action.
Great Western Railway
GWR say there will be a "significantly limited service" operating and people should make alternative travel arrangements and only travel if absolutely necessary. No rail services will operate on the South Wales main line (Carmarthen/Swansea–Cardiff Central). A full list of cancelled services is here.
Avanti West Coast services
Avanti is publishing its revised timetables online, but the timetable for Wednesday and Thursday is yet to be published. You can find it here.
CrossCountry
On Wednesday, CrossCountry will be operating a heavily reduced service. There will be no service between Birmingham New Street and Cardiff Central. Road transport will operate between Gloucester and Newport.
If you have an advance, off peak or anytime ticket booked for Wednesday, July 27, you can use this on Tuesday or any date up to and including Tuesday, August 2, on any reasonable route without having to amend your ticket.
You can also amend your ticket to an alternative travel date after Tuesday, August 2. If you booked through CrossCountry you can amend your ticket free of charge. All other customers are advised to contact their ticket retailer. No seat or cycle reservations will be available on this day.
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