Trains grind to a halt in the West Midlands with all firms but one hit by strikes
Railway services across the West Midlands have come to a standstill today – with only one company running trains across the region amid strike action.
Transport chiefs have confirmed no West Midlands Railway, London Northwestern Railway, Avanti West Coast or CrossCountry services will be running.
And the only company not directly affected by the walkout from ASLEF and the RMT is Transport for Wales, although services are expected to be busy.
It has been warned the industry will be decimated once more on Friday, with people being advised services throughout the week will be heavily impacted.
Jonny Wiseman, customer experience director for West Midlands Railway and London Northwestern Railway, said: "It is disappointing that our passengers’ journeys continue to be affected by industrial action. There will be no service on any WMR route on Wednesday and Friday and passengers should not travel by train on these dates.
"Passengers should also check their journeys on the dates either side of the strike days as there may be a knock-on effect to early morning and late night trains. Anyone holding a ticket for travel on a strike day can use their ticket on a different day or claim a full refund."
The industrial action has been coordinated between ASLEF and RMT as the long-running dispute over pay, jobs and conditions continues – with many destinations being cut off by a lack of rail services and no replacement bus services in place either.
Barry Milsom, executive director of operations and safety at Avanti West Coast, said: "Yet again our customers will have to a face a disrupted week of rail travel due to further strike action by the RMT and ASLEF unions.
"We won’t be able to run any trains as a result of this industrial action and our customers are advised not to travel. Services will also be impacted on February 2 with a revised timetable in place, and customers should check before they travel on this date.
"We all need to work with each other to find a solution which will benefit our people and customers. It is essential, that as an industry, we continue to talk with the RMT and ASLEF about industry reform so we can develop together a railway fit for the 21st century."
