Limited train services will run on May 22nd and 23rd as members of the Transport Salaried Staffs’ Association (TSSA) stage strike action over pay parity and working conditions, London Northwestern Railway (LNR) has confirmed.
Strike dates and service restrictions
The industrial action is scheduled for Friday, May 22nd, and Saturday, May 23rd. On both days, LNR will operate a significantly reduced timetable. No trains will run after 7pm on Friday, and services will start later on Saturday, with the first departures from 7am. The TSSA, which represents staff including roster clerks and control room personnel, is striking over what it describes as “pay parity and working conditions.” Ian McConnell, LNR managing director, said: “We encourage TSSA to continue talks with us to reach a resolution to this dispute. This strike action will cause disruption to our customers with a significantly reduced timetable in operation on both dates. We are doing all we can to minimise the impact as far as possible and apologise to customers for the inconvenience. However, where services are running, we advise customers to only travel if necessary and to allow more time for their journey.”
Which routes will run – and which will not
Only three routes will have a service during the strike, each limited to one train per hour. The affected corridors are: Birmingham – Liverpool; Northampton – London Euston; and Birmingham – London Euston via Northampton. All other LNR routes will have no trains at all. This includes the Trent Valley Line, the Marston Vale Line and the Abbey Line. Due to the scale of the strike action, LNR has confirmed that no rail replacement transport will be provided.
Passengers holding Advance, Off-Peak or Anytime tickets can exchange them for another date or obtain a full refund at the point of purchase with no administration fee if their train is cancelled or delayed. Those with monthly or longer season tickets, or activated Flexi Season tickets, who are unable to travel because of the timetable disruption can claim 100% compensation for the affected days through Delay Repay. Advance tickets will be withdrawn from sale on the strike dates due to the expected disruption. Passengers delayed by 15 minutes or more against the revised timetable are eligible for Delay Repay compensation, and claims must be submitted within 28 days of travel.
Disruption continues into Sunday
Some minor disruption to services is expected on the morning of Sunday, May 24th, owing to the displacement of trains caused by the strike. LNR has indicated that disruption either side of strike days is common as trains need to be repositioned for the normal timetable to resume.
Broader disruption across the network
West Midlands Railway (WMR), a sister brand of LNR, will also be running a severely reduced service on the same dates due to the same TSSA industrial action, with identical advice for passengers. The strike comes shortly after a national timetable update on Sunday, May 17th, which coincided with the completion of LNR’s rollout of new Class 730/2 Aventra electric trains. These trains are expected to add 42,000 extra seats weekly to services to and from London Euston – a 20 per cent capacity increase – and a new direct service between Walsall and London Euston has also been introduced. Earlier in May, London Euston experienced significant disruption due to damaged power lines on the West Coast Main Line between Watford Junction and Milton Keynes, which led to an emergency timetable with fewer trains to and from London, Birmingham, Liverpool and Manchester. Throughout May, London Euston has also been subject to Network Rail upgrades including track renewal work, HS2 construction and drainage improvements near Milton Keynes, all of which have contributed to reduced services and some cancellations.
In addition, the RMT union is planning industrial action on the London Underground from Tuesday, May 19th, to Friday, May 22nd, affecting most Tube lines with reduced and less frequent services. The London Overground is expected to operate normally but will likely be busier. On Saturday, May 16th, planned protests in central London and football fans travelling for the FA Cup final caused congestion and busy conditions on public transport, including at London Euston. The combination of these events and the LNR strike means passengers face an exceptionally difficult period for rail travel. LNR has previously experienced industrial action from TSSA and RMT unions, including in December 2022, which led to significant disruption and a very limited timetable.
LNR has said that due to the scale of the strike action, no rail replacement transport will be provided.
