Train travel in and out of Highbridge railway station is set to be severely disrupted between Tuesday and Saturday this week (June 21st-25th) due to a strike, GWR has warned.
A significantly reduced timetable will be in place due to planned industrial action by the RMT union across the industry.
On June 21st, 23rd and 25th, GWR says “very limited services are expected to run between 7.30am and 6.30pm only” through Highbridge & Burnham Railway Station.
Mick Lynch, the RMT’s general secretary, said on Saturday that the latest pay offer from Network Rail was for a 2% pay increase, with a possible extra 1% if “productivity” conditions involving job cuts are accepted. “We won’t be bought off on that principle. We cannot have our members’ lives disrupted in the way they are proposing,” he said.
GWR says it will operate as many trains as possible during the strike action however most train services will be affected on the strike days announced. Due to the timing of the strike action, services in between strike days will also be affected.
On strike days, the operator says it is aiming to provide about 30% of its usual timetabled services, and about 50% on non-strike days.
On the days of strike action, 21, 23 and 25 June, GWR expects to be able to operate the following service level:
GWR Managing Director Mark Hopwood said: “We very much welcome the opportunity to continue to talk with the RMT to avert strike action. Any strike will impact on customers’ journeys and can only damage the post-covid recovery everyone at GWR has been working to win back, while at the same time making it more difficult to deliver the changes we need to secure jobs and services for the future.”
“I’m hopeful the RMT will step back, however colleagues have been working hard to put contingency plans in place and give certainty to customers who need to travel. The priority will be to keep trains running and customers moving safely, but changes will be needed to allow that to happen and customers may wish to alter their plans.”
A GWR spokesperson adds: “Only travel by rail if necessary. If you do travel, expect severe disruption and plan ahead. Services will start later and finish earlier throughout the strike period.”
Customers who have already purchased tickets can claim a full refund or can amend their ticket; those who travel and are delayed may be entitled to delay repay compensation if they are delayed by 15 mins or more.
Season ticket holders can apply for compensation through the Delay Repay scheme.
To help customers, GWR is allowing people with tickets for travel on strike days to be able to travel on the day before and up to two days after.
On non-strike days, no services will run before 7am:
Click here for more details from GWR on the strike disruption
