London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Sunday, Nov 30, 2025

Wales v New Zealand: Rail strike suspension too late

Wales v New Zealand: Rail strike suspension too late

The suspension of Saturday's rail strike has come "too late" for thousands of rugby fans travelling to Cardiff, Network Rail Wales has said.

Wales face New Zealand in the autumn internationals and the match kicks off at 15:15 GMT.

Planned rail strikes meant fewer trains before the game and none leaving Cardiff after it has finished.

Despite the industrial action being called off, rail bosses said this "doesn't change anything" for fans.

Dean Shaw from Network Rail, Wales and Borders, said: "It's too late to go back and change anything for tomorrow.

"The same for Sunday and probably Monday. So while it's good news, it is the same message for people."

Transport for Wales (TfW) added: "Due to the short notice given for the cancellation of the strikes, it's not possible for services to be reinstated on Saturday 5 November.

"Most trains across the Wales and Borders network will remain suspended, with only the potential to run severely reduced services running east of Cardiff and to the valleys lines."

The Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers (RMT) union has said that the series of strikes by railway workers, planned for 5, 7 and 9 November have been suspended.

Brendan Kelly, the RMT's regional organiser for south Wales and the west of England, told BBC Radio Wales: "I'm hoping that employers use this now and the Tory goverment back off and allow the employers to negotiate, as they have done for many years with the RMT.

"If this dispute was just in Wales, I'm sure we would have tried to resolve something at least on Thursday to give time to put those services back on.

"But because this was not in Wales, it was being done in London, effectively, there wasn't that level of concern or forethought that there was key rugby sport event in Cardiff."

The strike was called in a dispute over pay and conditions.

Tim and Lydia Ellis, from Christchurch, New Zealand, have changed their travel plans in order to get to the game.

The couple, who are living in Bristol for a year, planned to get the train to Cardiff but will now have to take the bus.

Mr Ellis, who was born in the UK and moved to New Zealand with his parents and brother when he was 12, said: "I won't be fully relaxed until we're in the stadium.

"It's going to be like thousands of people descending on Cardiff and I guess the bus will be in the thick of it, so hopefully there will be no delays because people will be desperate to get to the game."


Mr Ellis grew up in Hampshire, but his father was raised near Brecon, Powys, meaning supporting Wales in rugby was "compulsory".

Most trains across the Wales and Border network will not be running, with severely reduced services running east of Cardiff and to the valley lines only.

Up to 35,000 people would usually travel to Cardiff by train for the match, but capacity will be cut by two-thirds.

TfW, which was not involved in the dispute over pay, urged fans to "make alternative arrangements".

There will be no trains after the match, with the final service departing from Cardiff Central before 17:00, meaning thousands of fans will likely be forced to take to the roads instead, prompting fears of heavy traffic.

Services will also be busy on Sunday, TfW warned, for anyone staying in Cardiff overnight.

Tim Ellis and his wife Lydia have booked bus travel and are hoping there will be no delays

How can I get to Cardiff for Wales v New Zealand?


TfW has arranged return coach travel from Abercynon Railway Station car park and Pontypridd Railway Station for fans making their way to Cardiff.

The coaches leave at 11:00 and 11:30, with return coaches at 18:00 and 18:30 a short walk away from the Principality Stadium, but tickets must be booked in advance.

The Welsh Rugby Union is also putting on coach services for supporters.

Return coach travel to Cardiff is available from 15 locations across Wales and major cities in England, including Birmingham, Reading and London.

Principality Stadium Manager Mark Williams urged supporters to allow plenty of time to get into the city and plan their journeys in advance.

National Express coaches and other services will travel to the city as usual.

The M4 is expected to be extremely busy and there will be significant road closures in the city centre from 11:15 until 19:15.

To avoid congestion, Cardiff council has advised fans to use park-and-ride facilities and get to the city early.


Why were railway workers going on strike?
Rail workers from the RMT union held a picket in Cardiff in July


The RMT and Transport Salaried Staffs' Association (TSSA) unions also announced strike action would take place on 7 and 9 November.

This follows a long-running dispute between unions, the government and rail companies about pay, job cuts and changes to terms and conditions.

The unions want pay to reflect the increased cost of living.

Network Rail said an offer it made in July was worth 8% over two years, but depended on workers accepting its "modernisation plans".

However, the RMT said this was a "paltry sum" and represented a real-terms pay cut.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
250 Still Missing in the Massive Fire, 94 Killed. One Day After the Disaster: Survivor Rescued on the 16th Floor
Trump: National Guard Soldier Who Was Shot in Washington Has Died; Second Soldier Fighting for His Life
UK Chancellor Reeves Defends Tax Rises as Essential to Reduce Child Poverty and Stabilise Public Finances
No Evidence Found for Claim That UK Schools Are Shifting to Teaching American English
European Powers Urge Israel to Halt West Bank Settler Violence Amid Surge in Attacks
"I Would Have Given Her a Kidney": She Lent Bezos’s Ex-Wife $1,000 — and Received Millions in Return
European States Approve First-ever Military-Grade Surveillance Network via ESA
UK to Slash Key Pension Tax Perk, Targeting High Earners Under New Budget
UK Government Announces £150 Annual Cut to Household Energy Bills Through Levy Reforms
UK Court Hears Challenge to Ban on Palestine Action as Critics Decry Heavy-Handed Measures
Investors Rush Into UK Gilts and Sterling After Budget Eases Fiscal Concerns
UK to Raise Online Betting Taxes by £1.1 Billion Under New Budget — Firms Warn of Fallout
Lamine Yamal? The ‘Heir to Messi’ Lost to Barcelona — and the Kingdom Is in a Frenzy
Warner Music Group Drops Suit Against Suno, Launches Licensed AI-Music Deal
HP to Cut up to 6,000 Jobs Globally as It Ramps Up AI Integration
MediaWorld Sold iPad Air for €15 — Then Asked Customers to Return Them or Pay More
UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer Promises ‘Full-Time’ Education for All Children as School Attendance Slips
UK Extends Sugar Tax to Sweetened Milkshakes and Lattes in 2028 Health Push
UK Government Backs £49 Billion Plan for Heathrow Third Runway and Expansion
UK Gambling Firms Report £1bn Surge in Annual Profits as Pressure Mounts for Higher Betting Taxes
UK Shares Advance Ahead of Budget as Financials and Consumer Staples Lead Gains
Domino’s UK CEO Andrew Rennie Steps Down Amid Strategic Reset
UK Economy Stalls as Reeves Faces First Budget Test
UK Economy’s Weak Start Adds Pressure on Prime Minister Starmer
UK Government Acknowledges Billionaire Exodus Amid Tax Rise Concerns
UK Budget 2025: Markets Brace as Chancellor Faces Fiscal Tightrope
UK Unveils Strategic Plan to Secure Critical Mineral Supply Chains
UK Taskforce Calls for Radical Reset of Nuclear Regulation to Cut Costs and Accelerate Build
UK Government Launches Consultation on Major Overhaul of Settlement Rules
Google Struggles to Meet AI Demand as Infrastructure, Energy and Supply-Chain Gaps Deepen
Car Parts Leader Warns Europe Faces Heavy Job Losses in ‘Darwinian’ Auto Shake-Out
Arsenal Move Six Points Clear After Eze’s Historic Hat-Trick in Derby Rout
Wealthy New Yorkers Weigh Second Homes as the ‘Mamdani Effect’ Ripples Through Luxury Markets
Families Accuse OpenAI of Enabling ‘AI-Driven Delusions’ After Multiple Suicides
UK Unveils Critical-Minerals Strategy to Break China Supply-Chain Grip
Taylor Swift’s “The Fate of Ophelia” Extends U.K. No. 1 Run to Five Weeks
UK VPN Sign-Ups Surge by Over 1,400 % as Age-Verification Law Takes Effect
Former MEP Nathan Gill Jailed for Over Ten Years After Taking Pro-Russia Bribes
Majority of UK Entrepreneurs Regard Government as ‘Anti-Business’, Survey Shows
UK’s Starmer and US President Trump Align as Geneva Talks Probe Ukraine Peace Plan
UK Prime Minister Signals Former Prince Andrew Should Testify to US Epstein Inquiry
Royal Navy Deploys HMS Severn to Shadow Russian Corvette and Tanker Off UK Coast
China’s Wedding Boom: Nightclubs, Mountains and a Demographic Reset
Fugees Founding Member Pras Michel Sentenced to 14 Years in High-Profile US Foreign Influence Case
WhatsApp’s Unexpected Rise Reshapes American Messaging Habits
United States: Judge Dressed Up as Elvis During Hearings – and Was Forced to Resign
Johnson Blasts ‘Incoherent’ Covid Inquiry Findings Amid Report’s Harsh Critique of His Government
Lord Rothermere Secures £500 Million Deal to Acquire Telegraph Titles
Maduro Tightens Security Measures as U.S. Strike Threat Intensifies
U.S. Envoys Deliver Ultimatum to Ukraine: Sign Peace Deal by Thursday or Risk Losing American Support
×