COMMUTERS have been warned to “only travel if necessary” as trains will be cancelled during strikes.
There will be no West Midlands Railway on its Hereford line and Birmingham Snow Hill line on Friday (May 22) and Saturday (May 23), affecting trains running through Droitwich, Worcester, Malvern, Colwall and Ledbury.
The Camp Hill line, Shrewsbury line, as well as trains between Nuneaton and Leamington Spa, are also affected.
The train operator will run a reduced service on the following lines:
No trains will run on any line between 7pm on Friday and 7am on Saturday.
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What to do if you purchased a ticket
West Midlands Railway said tickets dated for travel on Friday, May 22 or Saturday, May 23 can be used either one day before or up to one day later.
Tickets will also be valid on the following routes:
However, West Midlands Railway has urged people to avoid travelling on the affected days.
“We advise you to only travel if necessary as trains will only run on a small number of routes.”
Why is a strike taking place?
Transport Salaried Staffs’ Association (TSSA) said a walkout was planned, starting at 12.01am on Thursday (May 21), with roster clerks striking for 24 hours, joined by duty train crew managers and control staff from 12pm on Friday until 12pm on Saturday.
The union said it is “seeking parity” with other unions on rest day working payments.
General Secretary Maryam Eslamdoust said: “As things stand these strikes will go ahead as planned because the company is simply refusing to give our members parity with those in other unions.
“That is an intolerable situation, especially given the fact these are modest demands.
“Our reps at West Midlands Trains have consulted the membership and they remain determined to proceed with their legitimate action.
“It’s now up to the company to come to their senses and stop these walkouts. Our union remains open to further discussions and only takes strike action as a last resort.”
West Midlands Trains is a state-owned company operating West Midlands Railway and London Northwestern Railway.
