Rail users across Herefordshire are being warned to expect disruption over the coming weeks, with further strike action set to take place.
Below are updates from all the rail companies that travel through stations in Herefordshire.
Transport for Wales Statement:
The majority of Transport for Wales (TfW) services across the Wales and Borders network will be suspended on two days in October due to the on-going national industrial action.
The National Union of Rail, Maritime, and Transport Workers (RMT) has announced two days of strike action will take place on Saturday 1 and Saturday 8 October, across Network Rail and 15 train operators.
ASLEF has also announced strike action on Saturday 1 and Wednesday 5 October across 12 train operators, while TSSA have announced strike action on 1 October at Network Rail and 11 train operators.
TfW is not involved in this industrial action, but as a result of the dispute between unions and Network Rail, TfW will be unable to operate a number of rail services on Network Rail infrastructure on 1 and 8 October, while some services will be much busier than usual on 5 October.
More information about the industrial action can be found on the TfW website here.
Saturday 1 and Saturday 8 October – very limited rail service, do not travel by train
The only services operating will be on the Core Valley Lines in South Wales and a Cardiff to Newport shuttle, with one train operating hourly in each direction, between 07:30 and 18:30.
No other TfW services across Wales and the Borders network will be able to operate.
Train services will operate between Cardiff Central and Rhymney, Treherbert, Aberdare and Merthyr Tydfil in an hourly service in each direction between 07:30 and 18:30.
Customers are reminded there will be very limited road transport capacity between Radyr and Cardiff before 07:30 and after 18:30, when TfW is unable to operate trains via Llandaf and Cathays.
Amended timetables for Saturday 1 October will be in online journey planners from Tuesday 27 September.
Friday 30 September and Friday 7 October (the days before the strikes)
There is also expected to be disruption on the days prior to the industrial action, and services will be much busier than usual.
Customers are advised to only travel if necessary on Friday 30 September and 7 October, and to check online journey planners for any short-notice late night service alterations as a result of the following day’s strike action.
Core Valley Lines – Saturday 1 and Saturday 8 October
The first services of the day that depart Treherbert, Aberdare and Merthyr Tydfil will all be timed so they will be arriving into Radyr after 07:00. No trains will run before 07:00 on any lines except between Treherbert, Aberdare, Merthyr Tydfil – Radyr.
No pre-planned road transport services will be in operation before 18:30 on Core Valley lines.
Services are likely to be much busier than usual – particularly the first services of the day.
All other TfW services – Sunday 2 and 9 October
No trains will run before 07:00 on these days, and those trains that do run are likely to be much busier than usual – particularly the first services of the day. There is also expected to be disruption to services due to trains being displaced from the previous day’s strike action.
In particular, services to Cardiff are expected to be busier than usual on the morning on 2 October due to the Cardiff Half-Marathon.
Customers are urged to check the TfW website, app or social media before they travel, particularly for the first services of the day from their station of origin.
Services on these days are to be extremely busy and customers are encouraged to travel via the alternative dates of Monday 3 or 10 October.
Wednesday 5 October
Some of our services are likely to be extremely busy as a result of the severely-reduced timetable put in place by other operators.
This includes:
- Services between Carmarthen and Newport
- Services between Shrewsbury and Wolverhampton
- Services between Cardiff and Cheltenham
- Services between Chester and Holyhead
- Services between Chester and Manchester Airport
- Services between Crewe and Manchester Piccadilly
Due to the closure of Birmingham New Street station, services between North Wales and Birmingham International will terminate at Wolverhampton.
Customers are advised to only travel if necessary and customers are encouraged to travel via the alternative dates of Tuesday 4 or Thursday 6 October.
Amended timetables for Wednesday 5 October will be in online journey planners from Thursday 29 September.
Existing tickets
Advance ticket holders are entitled to change their journey using the ‘Book with Confidence’ and the change of journey fees should be waived if applied before 18:00 the day before travel. You’re still able to change your tickets after this time, and up until the departure, but a change of journey fee of £10 will apply to each ticket changed.
Customers with Anytime, Off-Peak or Advance tickets, also Ranger/Rover tickets, for a TOC on strike – dated for 1, 5 or 8 October are permitted to travel either on the day before the date on the ticket or up to 11 October 2022.
If you have a return ticket and cannot make your outward journey because of a strike, you’re permitted a refund on your ticket even if the latter is not affected by a strike.
The same applies if the return journey is affected by a strike but the outward was not.
Alternatively, customers can claim a full refund, with no admin fee charged.
Season ticket holders can apply for compensation via Delay Repay.
West Midlands Railway Statement:
West Midlands Railway (WMR) passengers are being urged to plan ahead of three days of industrial action in October.
Members of the ASLEF, RMT and TSSA unions have announced their intention to stage industrial action on Saturday 1 October. ASLEF members will take part in action on Wednesday 5 October and RMT members will take part in action on Saturday 8 October.
As a result, there will be no WMR service on any route on Saturday 1 October and Wednesday 5 October.
WMR will run a significantly reduced service from 7.30am to 6.30pm on Saturday 8 October.
Morning services will be impacted on days following industrial action due to trains being in the incorrect place overnight.
Jonny Wiseman, customer experience director at WMR, said:
“It is disappointing that our passengers’ journeys will continue to be affected on three more days of industrial action in October.
“There will be no services on any WMR route on Saturday 1 October and Wednesday 5 October. A limited service will operate on Saturday 8 October. Morning services will also be impacted on the days following the action.
“Customers holding purchased tickets can travel on alternative days or they will be entitled to a refund.”
Routes with a limited service on Saturday 8 October from 7.30am to 6.30pm are:
- Cross-City Line (Lichfield Trent Valley – Redditch/Bromsgrove via Birmingham New Street) – 2 trains per hour
- Wolverhampton – Birmingham New Street – 1 train per hour
- Birmingham New Street – Birmingham International – 2 trains per hour (with rail replacement provided between Birmingham International and Coventry)
No trains will run on any other WMR route, including all routes via Birmingham Snow Hill, Birmingham-Shrewsbury, Birmingham-Worcester-Hereford and Nuneaton-Leamington Spa.
For further information visit Industrial Action | West Midlands Railway
Great Western Railway Statement:
Trades unions have announced industrial action at a number of train companies, including GWR and Network Rail, on Saturday 1, Wednesday 5, Thursday 6, Friday 7 and Saturday 8 October.
On these days train services will be severely disrupted and some parts of the GWR network will have no train service at all. Train services on the days following the industrial action will also be disrupted.
The strike action will affect travel this Saturday, travel to this Sunday’s London Marathon, and travel from Wednesday 5 through to and including Saturday 8 October.
On strike days an extremely limited service will operate between 0730 and 1830, first trains will start later, and the last trains will leave much earlier.
Where GWR is able to run services, they are expected to be extremely busy and bus replacement services are not able to be provided. Online journey planners have been updated with the latest timetable information.
Passengers are advised to find alternative ways to travel on these days. Only travel by train if absolutely necessary. The majority of train services will not operate and there will be no services on many routes.
Customers who have already purchased tickets for strike days 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.
To help customers, GWR is allowing people with tickets for travel on alternative days as follows:
- Tickets for travel on 1 October are valid for travel on 30 September, 2, 3, and 4 October.
- Tickets for travel on 2 October are valid for travel on 2, 3, and 4 October.
- Tickets for travel on 5 October are valid for travel on 4, 6, and 7 October.
- Tickets for travel on 6 October are valid for travel on 4, 5, 6, and 7 October.
- Tickets for travel on 7 October are valid for travel on 4, 5, 6, and 7 October.
- Tickets for travel on 8 October will be valid for travel on 7, 9, 10, 11 October.
For more detailed information, including advice for those looking to travel to the TCS London Marathon on Sunday 2 October, please visit www.gwr.com/strike.
Unions taking action:
1 October
Strike Action: Aslef, RMT and Unite
Action short of a strike: TSSA
5 October
Strike Action: Aslef
Action short of a strike: TSSA
6 October
Strike Action: TSSA managers and office staff only
7 October
Strike Action: TSSA managers and office staff only
8 October
Strike Action: RMT
The company’s refund policy and Book with Confidence policy will remain in place. If you hold a return ticket, you can claim a refund of your unused full fare, even if only one leg of your journey is affected.
