London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Tuesday, Oct 27, 2026

Britain’s rail strikes: which trains will be running where and when?

Britain’s rail strikes: which trains will be running where and when?

The biggest national rail strikes in 30 years are due to take place next week. Here’s how services will be affected

Only about half of Britain’s rail network will be open on the strike days – Tuesday 21, Thursday 23 and Saturday 25 June – with a very limited service. Trains will only run between 7.30am and 6.30pm. Intercity main lines and urban services will be most likely to function. Some places will see no services at all.

On Wednesday, Friday and Sunday about 60% of the service will run, starting later than usual. A few Monday evening services will terminate earlier.

Network Rail said passengers should check ahead with train operators. Most have advised to only travel if necessary on strike days. A full strike timetable is expected to be published later this week.

A separate tube strike in London is due on Tuesday 21 June.


Major train operator advice to date for strike days


Most trains are not running outside 7.30am-6.30pm.

*  Avanti West Coast Expects to run one train an hour from London Euston to each of Manchester, Liverpool, Birmingham and Preston, with a limited service to Glasgow. No trains serving north Wales, Shrewsbury, Blackpool or Edinburgh.

*  Chiltern Two trains an hour from London Marylebone, only running as far north as Banbury.

*  Cross Country Still finalising but services to Penzance, and between Bristol and Birmingham, will not run.

*  c2c Two trains an hour between London and Shoeburyness in Essex.

*  East Midlands Railway One fast train an hour between Nottingham, Sheffield, Corby and London; one an hour on routes between Derby, Matlock, Nottingham, Leicester and Sheffield. Other lines closed.

*  Govia Thameslink Railway Two trains an hour on most routes – from Brighton to London terminals on Southern, and on the major Thameslink and Great Northern routes. No trains before 7.15am on non-strike days.

*  Greater Anglia Services will only run on the main lines into London Liverpool Street, with one train an hour from Cambridge and Norwich, and two from Stansted.

*  Great Western Railway No services west of Cardiff or Plymouth on strike days.

*  LNER Running a higher proportion than most – nearly 40% – but recommends avoiding travel, with last services between Edinburgh and London departing in the early afternoon.

*  Northern Advises not to travel from Tuesday to Sunday. Extremely limited services around cities and no services at all in many areas on strike days.

*  Scotrail One to two trains an hour on routes between Glasgow and Edinburgh; no service north of Falkirk.

*  Southeastern Only services into London Bridge, as far as Dartford and Orpington, and between St Pancras and Ashford via Ebbsfleet on the high speed line.

*  South Western Two fast trains an hour to/from London Waterloo and Southampton; four an hour to Woking and Windsor, two to Basingstoke, rest of network closed. Some trains start at 7.15am.

*  TransPennine Very limited service. Roughly one train an hour between Manchester and York, every two to four hours on other routes, and no trains at all to stations including Scarborough and Hull.

*  West Midlands Very limited service between Birmingham and Wolverhampton; no trains at all on many routes, including on non-strike days.

*  Transport for London Avoid travel on Tuesday when the tube strike will close the underground. Tube services disrupted early Wednesday. London Overground and outer sections of the Bakerloo, District and Elizabeth lines will be affected and curtailed on national rail strike days.

Transport for Wales Not directly in dispute, but nonetheless all services will be suspended bar some of the Core Valley Lines routes around Cardiff.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Education or Indoctrination? The Growing Debate Over Religious Participation in British Schools
Germany's Vanishing Shopfronts: The Silent Collapse of the Businesses That Built Its Cities
Northern Ireland Executive Reaches Agreement on Public Transport Modernization and Cross-Border Rail Infrastructure Funding
Department for Energy Security and Net Zero Approves New North Sea Carbon Capture and Storage Industrial Clusters
Office for National Statistics Reports Stabilization in Private Rental Growth Across Major English and Welsh Regional Cities
United Kingdom Automotive Manufacturing Output Rises Moderately as Electric Vehicle Assembly Lines Expand in the Midlands
Competition and Markets Authority Launches Formal Inquiry Into Cloud Computing Infrastructure and Artificial Intelligence Partnerships
Scottish Government Finalizes Emergency Budget Adjustments Following Multi-Year Public Sector Funding Shortfalls
National Health Service England Announces Major Emergency Care Overhaul to Alleviate Severe Winter Capacity Pressures
Chancellor Rachel Reeves Prepares Autumn Budget Amid Intensifying Scrutiny Over Public Spending and Fiscal Rules
Bank of England Signals Cautious Approach to Further Interest Rate Cuts as Persistent Wage Growth and Inflation Pressures Remain
Transport for London Unveils Expanded Zero-Emission Bus Fleet to Meet Capital Air Quality Targets
Higher Education Institutions Face Deepening Financial Strain Amid Declining International Student Enrolment
Automotive Industry Leaders Criticize Government Tax Policies and Urge Action on Retail Consumer Confidence
Environment Agency Issues Flood Alerts Across Scottish and English Waterways Following Heavy Rainfall
Independent Audit Highlights Persistent Security Vulnerabilities Across Legacy Government Digital Portals
Northern Ireland Political Leaders Clash Over Westminster Funding Allocations Ahead of Autumn Budget
Ethnic Minorities in England Face Significant Disparities in Routine Breast Cancer Diagnosis Rates
National Police Chiefs Report Alarming Surge in Domestic Abuse Cases Fuelled by Expanding Illegal Cocaine Market
Government Announces Two Hundred and Twenty Million Pound Pothole Funding Boost for Local Highway Authorities
China Issues Formal Warning Over Potential United Kingdom Restrictions on Chinese Electric Vehicles
British Defence Ministers Sign E5 Pact to Enhance European Military Capabilities and Industrial Cooperation Within NATO
United Kingdom Business Activity Expands at Fastest Pace in Eight Months According to S&P Global Flash Survey
Chancellor John Healey Prepares Major Devolution Package and Bank Profit Surcharge Ahead of Upcoming Autumn Budget
National Health Service Consultants in England Announce Two-Day Strike Action Scheduled for November
Major Clean-Up Under Way Across Britain Following Destruction Caused by Consecutive Storms Austen and Boelo
KEY TRENDS TO WATCH
Declassified Intelligence Files Reveal British Security Services Monitored National Health Service Founder
British Government Launches Sweeping Regulatory Crackdown on High-Risk Cosmetic Procedures
Scottish National Party Demands Ban on Using Scottish Revenues to Fund English Nuclear Energy Projects
Mayor of London Initiates Landmark Pedestrianisation of Oxford Street to Revitalise Global Retail Hub
British Judges Granted Expanded Legal Powers to Punish Convicted Killers Who Refuse to Attend Sentencing
United Kingdom Poised to Miss Reduced International Aid Spending Targets Ahead of Fiscal Review
Surging Cocaine Consumption Drives Record Drug Fatalities and Rising Crime Rates Across Britain
Department of Health and Social Care Announces One Hundred and Forty Million Pound Boost for Urgent Care
British Services Sector Records Strongest Growth in Eight Months Despite Broader Economic Uncertainty
United Kingdom Retail Sales Suffer Unexpected Decline as Consumer Confidence Plummets
Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham Urges National Debate on Restoring European Union Free Movement
Deep Cabinet Divisions Emerge Over Controversial Approval of North Sea Fossil Fuel Projects
United Kingdom Government Urges Citizens to Stockpile Essential Supplies in National Resilience Pivot
Storm Boelo Kills Two People and Cuts Power to Tens of Thousands Across Great Britain
Critical Software Flaw Forces Dozens of United Kingdom Government Services Offline Amid Mass Security Warnings
UK Consumer Confidence Tumbles Amid Rising Energy Costs and Global Commodity Price Pressures
North Sea Transition Authority Approves Production from Jackdaw Gas Field to Bolster Domestic Energy Security
Storm Boelo Leaves Tens of Thousands of Households Without Power Across Scotland and Northern Ireland
UK Government Launches National Be Ready Campaign Urging Households to Prepare Three Days of Emergency Supplies
Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs Implements Stricter Water Quality Regulations for British Rivers
Welsh Government Launches Major Renewable Energy Initiative to Expand Offshore Wind Capacity Along the Coast
Northern Ireland Executive Reaches Final Agreement on Comprehensive Regional Infrastructure Modernization Plan
Office for National Statistics Reports Moderate Increase in British Retail Sales Driven by Autumn Discounts
×