Passengers in and around Gnosall should be aware that West Midlands Railway (WMR) will run only a very limited service on Friday and Saturday, following a strike by members of the TSSA union over rest day pay.
Talks held through arbitration service Acas produced no breakthrough, and the union confirmed the walkout will go ahead. Staff including roster clerks, duty train crew managers and control staff are all set to take part.
What services will still run?
On both days, only a handful of routes will operate:
- Cross City Line (Lichfield Trent Valley to Redditch/Bromsgrove via Birmingham New Street) - two trains per hour
- Wolverhampton to Walsall via Birmingham New Street - one train per hour
- Rugeley Trent Valley to Birmingham International via Birmingham New Street - one train per hour
No trains will run on any other WMR route, including the Shrewsbury and Hereford lines.
What about London Northwestern Railway?
London Northwestern Railway (LNR) will also run a very limited service, with just one train per hour on the Birmingham to Liverpool and Birmingham to London Euston routes. Importantly for local residents, no trains will run via the Potteries line (Stafford to Crewe via Stoke-on-Trent).
Key timings to know
On Friday, no trains will run after 19:00. On Saturday, services will not start until 07:00.
What should you do?
WMR managing director Ian McConnell has advised passengers to only travel if absolutely necessary and to allow extra time for their journeys. If you can postpone travel until Sunday, that would be the safest option.
Source: bbc.co.uk
