On these days train services on many parts of the GWR network will be disrupted. Trains on the days following the industrial action may also be disrupted.
On Saturday 19 and Monday 21, train services operating through the Thames Valley between London Paddington and Bristol will be disrupted. All other areas of the GWR network will continue to operate as normal. Please check your journey.
Where train services are affected, a reduced service will operate between 07:30 and 18:30, and the last trains will be earlier than usual.
In the affected areas, where we are able to run services, they are expected to be extremely busy. Online journey planners are being updated with the latest timetable information as soon as is possible (please see the table below for details).
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, tickets will be valid for travel on alternative days as follows:
Tickets for travel on Saturday 19 November are valid for travel on 18, 19, 20, 21, 22 and 23 November
Tickets for travel on Sunday 20 November are valid for travel on 20, 21, 22 and 23 November
Tickets for travel on Monday 21 November are valid for travel on 20, 21, 22 and 23 November
Tickets for travel on Saturday 26 November are valid for travel on 25, 26, 27 and 28 November
GWR will operate as many trains as possible. The following travel advice is in place:
Saturday 19 November
A limited service will operate on parts of the GWR network. In the affected area services will start at 07:30 and all journeys must be completed before 18:30.
A reduced service will run only on the following routes between:
London Paddington and Bristol Temple Meads
London Paddington and Swansea: after 18:30 trains run between Cardiff and Swansea only
London and Bristol Parkway/Cardiff
London Paddington and Hereford/Worcester
London and Plymouth: after 18:30 trains run between Westbury and Plymouth
Cardiff and Portsmouth Harbour: after 18:30 trains run between Westbury and Portsmouth Harbour
Cardiff to Taunton/Plymouth: after 18:30 trains run between Weston-super-Mare and Taunton/Plymouth
Westbury to Swindon via Melksham
Bristol Temple Meads to Gloucester/Worcester/Great Malvern: after 18:30 trains will only operate north of Gloucester towards Worcester
Between St Austell and Penzance (due to planned engineering work)
Devon and Cornwall branch lines to operate as normal
Westbury and Weymouth
London Paddington and Oxford/Didcot
Twyford and Henley
Slough and Windsor
Maidenhead and Marlow
Reading and Basingstoke
Reading and Redhill
Trains that are operating will be extremely busy. If you are intending to travel on these routes, please check your journey before travelling.
Rugby fans attending the Wales-Georgia Autumn International at the Principality Stadium looking to return towards Bristol and London are advised to do so immediately after the match ends to ensure journeys east towards England.
A queuing system will be in place and customers for England advised to join the queue as soon as possible. Services between Cardiff and Swansea will continue to operate.
Those looking to travel towards Twickenham for the England vs New Zealand test match are warned not to travel on GWR services as there will be no services West to Reading and beyond after the match.
South Western Railway (SWR) is similarly advising passengers not to travel to the match by train from Reading, Earley, Winnersh or Winnersh Triangle stations.
Services to the match from other stations on the SWR network will be unaffected.
Sunday 20 November
Trains will continue to be disrupted. There will be a reduced level of service throughout the day; a later start to services in the morning and some late-night services may be cancelled.
Trains that are operating will be extremely busy. Please check before you travel.
The Night Riviera sleeper service will not operate.
Monday 21 November
A limited service will operate on most parts of the GWR network. In the affected area services will start at 07:30 and all journeys must be completed before 18:30.
A reduced service will run only on the following routes between:
London Paddington and Bristol Temple Meads
London Paddington and Swansea: after 18:30 trains run between Cardiff and Swansea only
London and Bristol Parkway/Cardiff
London Paddington and Hereford/Worcester
London and Plymouth: after 18:30 trains run between Westbury and Plymouth
Cardiff and Portsmouth Harbour: after 18:30 trains run between Westbury and Portsmouth Harbour
Cardiff to Taunton/Plymouth: after 18:30 trains run between Weston-super-Mare and Taunton/Plymouth
Westbury to Swindon via Melksham
Bristol Temple Meads to Gloucester/Worcester/Great Malvern: after 18:30 trains will only operate north of Gloucester towards Worcester
Between St Austell and Penzance (due to planned engineering work)
Devon and Cornwall branch lines to operate as normal
Westbury and Weymouth
London Paddington and Oxford/Didcot
Twyford and Henley
Slough and Windsor
Maidenhead and Marlow
Reading and Basingstoke
Reading and Redhill
Trains that are operating will be extremely busy. If you are intending to travel on these routes, please check your journey before travelling.
Tuesday 22 November
Trains will start later than usual with some morning services cancelled. We aim to return to a full timetable as soon as possible but some short-notice alterations and cancellations may occur, please check before you travel.
The Night Riviera sleeper service will operate.
Saturday 26 November
An extremely limited service will operate. Services will start at 07:30 and all journeys must be completed before 21:30.
A very limited service will run only on the following routes between:
London Paddington and Bristol Temple Meads
Reading and Oxford
Reading and Basingstoke
Avoid travelling and seek alternative ways to make your journey. If you are intending to travel on these routes, please only do so if absolutely necessary. Trains that are operating will be extremely busy.
Our Refund and Book with Confidence policies 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.
Unions taking action:
Network Rail staff belonging to the RMT trades union at the Thames Valley Signal Centre (TVSC) have announced their intention to take industrial action on Saturday 19 and Monday 21 November.
The national dispute over pay with a number of unions continues, with the Aslef union announcing further strike action for Saturday 26 November at a number of train companies including GWR.
19 and 21 November
Strike action: RMT (Network Rail members at Thames Valley Signalling Centre)
26 November
Strike action: Aslef (GWR and a number of other train companies
