London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Sunday, Jul 12, 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
Government Creates Emergency Support Scheme for Financially Struggling Universities
United Kingdom Replaces Traditional Farm Subsidies With Payments Linked to Environmental Performance
National Grid Reports First Week of Electricity Generation Without Fossil Fuels
United Kingdom Financial Regulator Introduces Tougher Capital Rules for Cryptocurrency Exchanges
Belfast Harbour Expands Operations to Attract Investment Through United Kingdom and European Union Market Access
Scottish Government Threatens Legal Challenge Over Westminster Cuts to North Sea Transition Funding
United Kingdom Accelerates Trans-Pennine High-Speed Rail Project Linking Northern Cities
United Kingdom Secures Ten Billion Pound Investment for Cambridge Quantum Computing Campus
Port Talbot Steelworks Wins Support for Green Hydrogen Transition and Protection of Industrial Jobs
United Kingdom Sends Royal Navy Carrier Strike Group to Indo-Pacific as Regional Security Focus Expands
National Health Service Expands Artificial Intelligence Diagnostics Across England to Reduce Screening Backlogs
United Kingdom Launches Fifty Billion Pound Infrastructure Fund to Accelerate Housing and Construction
UK Medical Chiefs Update Health Guidance to Promote Everyday Physical Activity
Office of Communications Keeps Wikipedia Under Review Under UK Online Safety Rules
UK Defence Ministry Expands Deep-Strike Capability Through Precision Missile Programme
Russell Group Universities Warn Funding Cuts Could Damage NHS Workforce Training
UK Parliament Calls for National Emergency Broadcast as Heatwave Conditions Intensify
UK and Netherlands Strengthen Naval Cooperation With New Amphibious Defence Partnership
UK Defence Ministry Joins International Missile Programme With One Hundred and Ninety Million Pound Investment
Bank of England Warns Middle East Conflict and AI Risks Could Pressure UK Economy
UK Government Introduces New Rules to Limit Foreign Influence in Political Donations
UK and France Prepare Naval Mission to Protect Shipping Through Strait of Hormuz
United States Pressures UK to Increase Defence Spending at NATO Summit
Bank of England Warns Artificial Intelligence Investment Boom Could Create Financial Stability Risks
Bank of England Begins Direct Oversight of Critical Technology Providers Supporting UK Finance
Andy Burnham Set to Become UK Prime Minister After Labour Leadership Race Clears Path to Downing Street
Scottish Fishing Industry Calls for Emergency Support Amid Rising Costs
UK Supports Stronger European Response to Russian Actions in Ukraine
Devon and Cornwall Police Release Suspect in Ann Widdecombe Murder Investigation
Scottish MPs Demand More Government Support for Fishing Industry
UK Aviation Sector Faces New Rules as Parliament Reviews Passenger Protection Reforms
King’s College London Disciplines Students Over Pro-Palestine Campus Protests
Ministry of Defence Expands Military Capabilities Through New Precision Strike Investment
United Kingdom Condemns Russian Treatment of Ukrainian Children at International Security Forum
House of Lords Reviews Civil Aviation Bill to Strengthen Passenger Rights and UK Aviation Competitiveness
UK Aerospace and Defence Industries Contribute Nearly Forty-Seven Billion Pounds to Economy
UK Government Advances Consultation on Possible Social Media Ban for Children Under Sixteen
United Kingdom Ratifies Global High Seas Treaty to Protect Marine Biodiversity
United Kingdom Joins United States Precision Strike Missile Programme With One Hundred Ninety Million Pound Investment
UK Senior NHS Doctors Vote for Further Strike Action Over Pay and Contract Disputes
BBC Leadership Resigns After Donald Trump Launches Ten Billion Dollar Defamation Lawsuit
UK Fiscal Watchdog Warns Andy Burnham Government Faces One Hundred Billion Pound Budget Challenge
The AI Invoice Shock: Layoffs Didn't Save Managers Money — They Cost Them More
Concern: Sexually Transmitted Bacterium Among Men Develops Antibiotic Resistance
Following Massive Investor Demand: SK Hynix Raises 26.5 Billion Dollars on Nasdaq
Passenger Partially Pulled Out of Ryanair Jet After Cabin Window Fails Mid-Flight
After Four Years, and Under a Heavy Veil of Secrecy: King Charles Meets His Grandchildren, Harry and Meghan's Children
Cross-Party MPs Call for National Climate Emergency Broadcast
Bayeux Tapestry Arrives in the United Kingdom for Landmark Exhibition
United Kingdom Launches Modern Slavery Prevention Programme in Vietnam
×