Significant disruption is set to affect customers using CrossCountry services as union RMT plans four days of industrial action over four consecutive Saturdays in August and September as follows:

• Saturday the 19th of August
• Saturday the 26th of August
• Saturday the 2nd of September
• Saturday the 9th of September

The planned strike action taking place on the 26th of August and the 2nd of September are national strikes and will affect 14 rail operators.

The strikes planned on the 19th of August and 9th of September are by RMT’s CrossCountry members and are not related to the unions’ ongoing national campaign disputing jobs, pay and conditions.

The CrossCountry strike action is in relation to changes which will affect a small number of Customer Service Assistance colleagues who dispatch trains from Edinburgh Waverley station. Currently, CrossCountry doesn’t run station dispatch duties across its network outside of Edinburgh Waverley and the changes being proposed would see this altered as per the rest of the rail operator’s network.

The suggested changes will not affect job security or the terms and conditions of the colleagues affected. Strike action has been drawn up by RMT despite the rail operator agreeing on dates to continue talks on the 22nd and 23rd of August.

The planned 24-hour walkouts will bring substantial disruption to customer’s travel plans affecting summer travel and large events such as the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, Manchester Pride and the Reading and Leeds Festivals.

Saturday the 19th of August will see CrossCountry services commence after 07:00 and will finish much earlier than usual with the following:

• One train will run per hour between Manchester Piccadilly and Reading via Stoke-on-Trent, Stafford, Birmingham New Street, Coventry, and Oxford – with some services extended to Southampton Central via Basingstoke.
• One train per hour between Birmingham New Street and York, via Derby, Sheffield, and Leeds, with some services extended to Edinburgh via Newcastle.
• Two trains per hour between Birmingham New Street and Leicester via Nuneaton, with some services extending to Peterborough.

A CrossCountry spokesperson said:

“Throughout this process, we have sought to work with the union to provide all ten Edinburgh employees with the best employment options for them.”

“Should the action go ahead, a local issue impacting ten CrossCountry colleagues will lead to hundreds of colleagues losing out on yet more pay as well as disrupting thousands of passengers who are keen to enjoy their summer.”

“We hope that RMT will call off these unnecessary strikes so that we can continue discussions and avoid further disruption for our passengers.”

All four of the planned strike days will see later started and much earlier finishes than usual for services which are able to operate. Customers should be aware that services are expected to be much busier than normal.

Engineering work will take place in the Water Orton area will also see further disruption for passengers over upcoming weekends, including:

• Saturday the 19th and Sunday the 20th of August
• Saturday the 26th to Monday the 28th of August
• Saturday the 2nd and Sunday the 3rd of August

Saturday the 2nd and Sunday the 3rd of August will see journey times between Birmingham and the North East and Scotland increased by up to one hour.

Wilnecote and Willington will see a rail replacement bus service in operation.

To find out more about train services which are operating during the industrial action, please click here.