Bristol train strikes - no GWR trains through Bristol Temple Meads as services ‘severely’ affected by strikes

Railway strikes are set to stifle more travel across Bristol as unions RMT and TSSA all plan industrial action over the coming days.

In an update by GWR yesterday (August 16), the announcement was made that no service will run in or out of Bristol Temple Meads station on Saturday August 20.

With GWR and CrossCountry services affected indefinitely by industrial strike action, here is everything you need to know and how it will affect Bristolians.

When are the rail strikes expected to take place?

RMT are holding a national strike in support of job security, pay and working conditions, on Saturday, August 20.

Transport union TSSA also plans to join in the national strike alongside RMT on August 20.

What rail companies will be affected by the strikes?

The full list of the rail companies affected by the strikes:

• Network Rail
• Chiltern Railways,
• Cross Country Trains,
• Greater Anglia,
• LNER,
• East Midlands Railway,
• c2c,
• Great Western Railway,
• Northern Trains,
• South Eastern
• South Western Railway
• Transpennine Express,
• Avanti West Coast,
• West Midlands Trains

What Bristol train routes will be affected?

CrossCountry

A detailed look at all routes affected by industrial strikes planned on Saturday, August 20, is available on the CrossCountry website, where you can download a timetable PDF for the most recent changes to the timetable.

If you are planning on travelling on Saturday, August 20, your ticket will be valid for travel either on the day before the date on your ticket or up to and including Tuesday 23 August. You don’t need to amend your ticket.

GWR

Friday 19 August

Trains will continue to be disrupted. Please make alternative travel arrangements and only travel if absolutely necessary.

Trains will start later and there will be a reduced level of service throughout the day. Please check ahead before you travel.

Saturday 20 August

An extremely limited service will operate between 7:00am and 6:30pm .

No rail services will operate on the following routes:

• No trains will operate in/out of Bristol Temple Meads
• Between Bristol Temple Meads to Swindon
• Between Bristol and Gloucester
• Between Bristol and Taunton
• All lines in Cornwall, including all branch lines
• West of Newton Abbot (change at Exeter) towards Plymouth/Cornwall
• All branch lines in Devon (Barnstaple, Exmouth, Paignton, Okehampton)
• South Wales main line (Carmarthen/Swansea–Cardiff Central)
• Berks & Hants line (between Reading–Bruton)
• Wessex main line (Bath Spa–Portsmouth Harbour)
• Heart of Wessex line (Westbury–Weymouth)
• TransWilts line (trains will only operate non-stop between Swindon and Westbury)
• Severn Beach line (Bristol Temple Meads–Severn Beach)
• North Cotswolds line (Hereford/Worcester–Oxford)
• South Cotswolds line (Cheltenham Spa–Swindon)
• Worcester/Gloucester
• Greenford branch line
• North Downs line (Reading–Gatwick Airport)

Sunday 21 August

Services will start from 7:00am and a sleeper service will be in operation

Why are RMT and TSSA striking?

RMT’s planned strike will take place on Thursday, August 18 and Saturday, August 20. The national strike will see workers continue their fight for better job security, pay and working conditions.

"The rail industry and the government need to understand that this dispute will not simply vanish,”  said Mick Lynch, general secretary of RMT.

"They need to get serious about providing an offer on pay which helps deal with the cost-of-living crisis, job security for our members and provides good conditions at work”.