London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Tuesday, Jul 21, 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
Miliband Sets Climate and International Law at Centre of UK Diplomacy
US Gasoline Returns to $4 as Renewed Iran Fighting Disrupts Oil Flows
Czech Central Bank Governor Rejects Early Euro Entry and Rate-Cut Pressure
Trump Orders 50% Tariffs on Selected Canadian Imports
Pentagon Discloses Nearly 100 US Troop Injuries During Renewed Iran Fighting
Trump Readies New Tariffs as Temporary Global Levy Nears Expiry
US Judge Pauses Paramount Skydance and Warner Bros Discovery Merger Over Antitrust Concerns
NHS England Faces Growing Retention Pressure Among Younger Midwives
UK Data Centre Expansion Faces Water and Grid Capacity Challenges
UK Defence Shares Rise After John Healey Appointment and Continued Spending Commitments
OECD Urges UK Government to Review Pension Triple Lock to Protect Public Finances
Bank of England Keeps Cautious Approach as Energy Costs Threaten Inflation Progress
County Councils Call for Wider Devolution and Long-Term Social Care Funding Reform
IMF Urges UK Government to Maintain Fiscal Discipline as Growth Forecast Slows
Russian Warship Holds Live-Fire Exercises Near UK Coast as Royal Navy Monitors Activity
Mitie Agrees Three Point One Billion Pound Takeover by OCS in Another Blow to London Listings
JPMorgan Chase Warns Bank Levies Could Hit UK Growth and Drive Capital Away
UK Unemployment Holds at Four Point Nine Percent as Labour Market Shows Resilience
UK Government Borrowing Falls Below Forecasts as Treasury Receives Early Fiscal Boost
John Healey Cuts VAT on Household Electricity Bills After Cancelling National Digital ID Scheme
Andy Burnham Forms New Labour Government With Ten-Year National Renewal Plan
EU Imposes Record €550 Million Digital Services Fine on AliExpress
UK Publishes Updated Consumption-Based Carbon Emissions Data
English Regions Prepare for Expanded Devolution and Infrastructure Powers
Russell Group Backs New Government and Calls for Stronger University-Industry Links
Bank of England Maintains Restrictive Monetary Policy Amid Persistent Inflation
Climate Progress Report Renews Debate Over the UK's Net Zero Strategy
New UK Government Launches Drive to End Rough Sleeping and Expand Social Housing
Prime Minister Andy Burnham Appoints John Healey as Chancellor in Cabinet Reshuffle
OECD Calls for Structural Reforms as UK Economy Faces Slower Growth
International Monetary Fund Expects UK Economic Growth to Slow to One Percent in 2026
Andy Burnham Takes Office as UK Prime Minister and Unveils Decade-Long Reform Agenda
London’s Housing Starts Collapse as Planning and Building Costs Stall Development
Charlie Sheen’s Daughter: "My Dad Didn’t Buy Me a House, My Breasts Bought It"
Vivienne Westwood Casts Cicciolina, 74, in Its New Autumn Campaign
Dejavu: Germany’s Military Expansion Reshapes Europe’s Strategic Balance With France
Naturally Conceived Identical Quadruplets Born in Rare Brisbane Delivery
Tate Brothers Fight British Extradition Bid After Miami Arrests
Burnham Reshapes Britain’s Government Around Living Costs, Devolution and Security
Jingye Demands Full Compensation After Britain illegally Nationalized British Steel
Just Another Liar or a Robin Hood? Andy Burnham Pledges Cost-of-Living Help in First Speech as UK Prime Minister
Morgan Stanley Builds a Wall Street Lead in AI Infrastructure Finance
High Prices Push Coffee Drinkers Toward Whole Beans and Home Brewing
Trump Draws Boos and Podium Scrutiny at Spain’s World Cup Triumph
Brilliant move: Péter Magyar Moves to Nominate Chess Grandmaster Judit Polgár as Hungary’s President
Spain Defeats Argentina in Extra Time to Win Second World Cup
Police Block Cockroach Janta Party’s March to Parliament as Education Protests Intensify
Current AI Seeks to Build an Open Global AI Infrastructure Outside Big Tech Control
Turkey Explores S-400 Transfer to UAE in Bid to Rejoin F-35 Program
Josh Kerr Breaks Twenty-Seven-Year World Mile Record at London Diamond League
×