Train strike dates March 2023: timetable, routes and services still open as RMT suspends Network Rail action

Around half of all rail services in England are cancelled as members of the RMT union walk out on a 24-hour strike.

Workers across 14 train operating companies and their subsidiaries are staging the first of four days of strike action planned for March and early April, affecting routes around the country. National Rail has said it expects up to half of services to operate today and on Saturday but has warned that there will be “wide variations”, with some areas having no trains.

The union and employers remain deadlocked in negotiations over pay and conditions after the union rejected the latest deal from train firms’ representative the Rail Delivery Group (RDG). The RMT said the latest proposed changes to working conditions were unacceptable and as a result it will hold four more days of strikes in March and April.

Previous action by the RMT has involved members working for Network Rail - the nationwide body responsible for track maintenance and infrastructure - and has caused half of all lines to shut down. However, the union has suspended strike action at Network Rail while members consider a new pay offer. This has lessened the impact of this month’s strikes but there is still expected to be serious disruption in some areas.

The RDG estimates that 40-50% of services will run on 16 and 18 March but in some areas no trains at all are running. Affected operators are mostly only running services from around 7.30am until 6.30pm and there is expected to be disruption to services on 17 and 19 March as staff return to work.

RDG chairman Steve Montgomery said:  “Unfortunately, while we will pull out all the stops to keep as many trains running as possible, there will be reduced services across many parts of the rail network on all four strike days, so our advice is to check before you travel.”

The affected train companies have issued the following advice to passengers on which services will run on the upcoming strike days.

Avanti West Coast

One train per hour from London Euston to each of Manchester, Liverpool, Birmingham and Preston, with a limited service onwards to Glasgow due to track upgrade works. The first train of the day will depart London Euston just after 7:30am and the last train of the day from London Euston departing just after 4pm.

There will be no services for North Wales, Shrewsbury, Blackpool, Edinburgh, Macclesfield or Stoke-on-Trent

Chiltern Railways

Services will operate between approximately 8am and 5pm with only the following routes being served:

• One train per hour between London Marylebone and Oxford in both directions.
• One train per hour between London Marylebone and Banbury in both directions.
• One train per hour between London Marylebone and Aylesbury (via High Wycombe) in both directions.
• One train per hour between Aylesbury Vale Parkway and Amersham in both directions.

There will be NO Chiltern Railways service North of Banbury.​​​​​​​

In addition, on Saturday there will be One bus per hour between Princes Risborough and Aylesbury in both directions, due to planned engineering works.​​​​​​​

CrossCountry

Trains will only run on the following routes:

• Birmingham New Street – Bristol Temple Meads: one per hour (first train 8.12am, last train 7.12pm on Thursday; first Saturday train 9.20am, last train 4.20pm.
• Birmingham New Street – Reading/Southampton Central: one per hour, First train 8.57am. Last train 3.04pm.
• Birmingham New Street – Newcastle/Edinburgh Waverley - “limited service” with first train at  11.03am and last train at 1.03pm.
• Birmingham New Street – Leeds/York - one per hour. First train 9.03am. Last train 3.03pm.
• Birmingham New Street – Leicester - one per hour on Thursday and two per hour on Saturday.
• Birmingham New Street – Manchester Piccadilly: one train per hour. First train 8.01am. Last train 4.01pm.

East Midlands Railway

On Thursday 16, one train per hour on the following routes, all other routes will be closed:

• Nottingham to London St Pancras International
• Sheffield to London St Pancras International
• Corby to London St Pancras International
• Derby to Matlock
• Derby to Nottingham
• Sheffield to Nottingham
• Leicester to Nottingham (Stopping Service)
• Mansfield Woodhouse to Nottingham

On Saturday 18, one train per hour on the following routes:

• Nottingham and Leicester
• Sheffield to Leicester
• Kettering to London St Pancras International
• Corby to London St Pancras International
• Derby to Matlock
• Derby to Nottingham
• Sheffield to Nottingham
• Leicester to Lincoln
• Mansfield Woodhouse to Nottingham
• Grantham to Nottingham

Gatwick Express

Two trains per hour between London Victoria and Gatwick Airport.

Great Western Railway

A very limited service will run only on the following routes:

• Between London Paddington and Bristol Temple Meads, extending to Plymouth every other hour
• Between London Paddington and Bristol Parkway
• Between London Paddington and Cardiff
• Between London Paddington and Oxford
• Between Slough and Windsor & Eton Central
• Between Maidenhead and Marlow
• Between Twyford and Henley-on-Thames
• Between Reading and Basingstoke
• Between Cardiff Central and Westbury

Greater Anglia & Stansted Express

On Thursday 16 March, a reduced service will operate between 7am and 7pm. All last trains will reach their destination by 7pm. Some routes may have no service at all.

On Saturday 18 March, a reduced service will operate between 7am and 11pm. All last trains will reach their destination by 11pm.

LNER

One train every 30-60 minutes between London King’s Cross and Edinburgh Waverley

One train per hour between London King’s Cross and Leeds

London Northwestern

On Thursday, trains will only operate on the following routes:

• Lichfield Trent Valley – Birmingham New Street – Redditch / Bromsgrove (2 trains per hour)
• Birmingham New Street – Northampton via Coventry (1 train per hour)
• Northampton – London Euston (2 trains per hour)
• Birmingham New Street – Wolverhampton via local stations (1 train per hour)
• Birmingham New Street – Crewe (1 train per hour)

On Saturday, a limited timetable will be in operation between the hours of 07:00 and 20:30 only on the following routes:

• Birmingham New Street – Northampton via Coventry
• Northampton / Milton Keynes – London Euston
• Birmingham New Street – Crewe - Liverpool Lime Street
• Birmingham New Street – Northampton via Coventry
• Birmingham New Street - Rugeley Trent Valley
• Birmingham New Street – Crewe - Liverpool Lime Street
• Lichfield Trent Valley - Birmingham New Street - Redditch and Bromsgrove
• Birmingham New Street - Wolverhampton via local stations

Southwestern

Thursday 16 March:

• Two trains per hour in each direction between London Waterloo and Southampton Central
• Four trains per hour in each direction between London Waterloo and Woking
• Two trains per hour in each direction between London Waterloo and Basingstoke
• Four trains per hour in each direction between London Waterloo and Windsor & Eton Riverside
• One train per hour in each direction between Guildford and Woking
• One train per hour in each direction between Salisbury and Basingstoke

Saturday 18 March:

• Two trains per hour in each direction between London Waterloo and Hounslow
• Four trains per hour in each direction between London Waterloo and Woking
• One train per hour in each direction between Basingstoke and Southampton Central
• One train per hour in each direction between Woking and Guildford
• One train per hour in each direction between Basingstoke and Salisbury

Thameslink and Great Northern:

Two trains per hour on the following routes:

• St Pancras International to Bedford,
• St Pancras International to Luton
• King’s Cross to Peterborough
• King’s Cross to Welwyn Garden City
• King’s Cross to Stevenage

One train per hour between King’s Cross and Ely (terminates at Cambridge on Saturday 18 March, so Ely, Waterbeach and Cambridge North will not be served).

One train per hour between Cambridge and Ely, calling at Cambridge, Cambridge North, Waterbeach and Ely only. (Thursday only)

One train per hour between King’s Cross and Cambridge.

TransPennine Express

• 10 services in both directions between Huddersfield and York calling at all local stations.
• Five services in both directions between Manchester Airport and Preston.
• Five services in both directions between Sheffield and Cleethorpes.

Southern

Two trains per hour between:

• London Victoria and Brighton
• London Bridge and Brighton
• London Bridge and Gatwick Airport
• London Bridge and Three Bridges
• Brighton and Hove
• Barnham and Three Bridges
• Brighton and Seaford
• London Victoria and Sutton
• London Victoria and Epsom Downs via Selhurst
• London Victoria and West Croydon via Crystal Palace
• London Bridge and Tattenham Corner
• London Victoria and East Grinstead
• London Blackfriars and Sevenoaks

One train per hour between:

• Caterham and Purley
• Oxted and Uckfield
• Brighton and Eastbourne

West Midlands Railway

Thursday 16 March

• Lichfield Trent Valley – Birmingham New Street – Redditch / Bromsgrove (2 trains per hour)
• Birmingham New Street – Northampton via Coventry (1 train per hour)
• Northampton – London Euston (2 trains per hour)
• Birmingham New Street – Wolverhampton via local stations (1 train per hour)
• Birmingham New Street – Crewe (1 train per hour)

Saturday 18 March

• Birmingham New Street – Northampton via Coventry
• Northampton / Milton Keynes – London Euston
• Birmingham New Street – Crewe - Liverpool Lime Street
• Birmingham New Street – Northampton via Coventry
• Birmingham New Street - Rugeley Trent Valley
• Birmingham New Street – Crewe - Liverpool Lime Street
• Lichfield Trent Valley - Birmingham New Street - Redditch and Bromsgrove
• Birmingham New Street - Wolverhampton via local stations

National Rail has confirmed that the following companies will run services as normal, although they may be busier than usual:

• c2c
• Caledonian Sleeper
• Elizabeth line
• Grand Central
• Heathrow Express
• Hull Trains
• London Overground
• Lumo
• Merseyrail
• ScotRail
• Transport for Wales