Update:

CrossCountry have confirmed that strike action has been called off on the 19th February, but due to the late notice the strike timetable will still be in operation

Services on CrossCountry Trains will be severely disrupted on Saturday, 19th February and Saturday, 5th March due to planned strike action by members of the National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers (RMT).

The union has instructed its members not to work on those days as many CrossCountry services are likely to be cancelled.

The strike has been called over CrossCountry’s use of managers to cover the duties of Senior Conductors and Train Managers when staff assigned for those duties are not available.

CrossCountry does not intend to undermine the other roles by replacing them with train managers. Both CrossCountry and other operators have a long history in training managers to perform many roles, including the ability to cover the duties of Senior Conductors and Train Managers.

On the days affected, CrossCountry anticipates that it will only be able to run a limited service. However, the company is seeking assurance that where other operators run services on the same routes, those operators accept CrossCountry tickets. They include the following operators: TfL, South Western Railway, Transport for Wales, TransPennine Express, Greater Anglia, Govia Thameslink Railway, East Midlands Railway, West Midlands Trains, Avanti, LNER, GWR, Chiltern Railways, and ScotRail.

Customers intending to travel on the strike days should try to change their plans, and where possible avoid travelling. Before they travel, they should check the very latest information at: https://www.crosscountrytrains.co.uk/disruption

Tom Joyner, Managing Director at CrossCountry said: “We are disappointed that we have not been able to find a way forward with our union colleagues. These strikes will cause significant disruption to our services at a time when we should be working together to welcome customers back. While we remain open to continuing talks with the RMT to prevent these strikes, we are committed to our approach as this provides the best future for our customers, colleagues, and our industry.”