South Western Railway and Great Western Railway customers are being discouraged from travelling to the coast later this week and into the weekend, with strike action set to cause severe disruption across the network.

While the fine weather might make a day trip to the beach an attractive prospect, SWR and GWR are both urging customers to only travel on the network if absolutely necessary between Thursday, August 18 and Sunday, August 21.

Due to the strike action taking place on Thursday and Saturday, August 20, there will be severe disruption across the network, with large parts of the railway closed entirely.

Customers who need to travel during the strike period are being encouraged to do so by other means.

Customers are urged to check the SWR website for latest information here and for GWR here. 

South Western Railway

Due to the impact of the strike days, customers are also urged only to travel if absolutely necessary on Friday and Sunday, when first trains will start much later than usual across the network and are likely to be very busy.

SWR’s reduced timetable will run from 07:15 to 18:30 on August 18 and 20, and will consist of:

  • Four trains per hour in each direction between London Waterloo and Windsor & Eton Riverside via Hounslow;
  • Two semi-fast trains per hour in each direction between London Waterloo and Basingstoke;
  • Four trains per hour in each direction between London Waterloo and Woking;
  • Two fast trains per hour in each direction between London Waterloo and Southampton Central.

Trains will not stop at all the stations on these routes. There will be no SWR services across the rest of the network, with the exception of the Island Line, which is unaffected by strike action.

Great Western Railway

GWR will operate as many trains as possible during the strike action, however, the following travel advice is in place over the strike period:

Thursday, August 18: A significantly limited service will operate. Please make alternative travel arrangements and only travel if absolutely necessary. No rail services will operate on the following routes:

  • All lines in Cornwall, including all branch lines
  • West of Exeter towards Plymouth/Cornwall
  • All branch lines in Devon (Barnstaple, Exmouth, Paignton, Okehampton)
  • South Wales main line (Carmarthen/Swansea–Cardiff Central)
  • Berks & Hants line (Reading–Taunton via Castle Cary)
  • Wessex main line (Bath Spa–Portsmouth Harbour)
  • Heart of Wessex line (Westbury–Weymouth)
  • TransWilts line (Swindon–Westbury via Melksham)
  • Severn Beach line (Bristol Temple Meads–Severn Beach)
  • North Cotswolds line (Hereford/Worcester–Oxford)
  • South Cotswolds line (Cheltenham Spa–Swindon)
  • Worcester/Gloucester
  • Greenford branch line
  • North Downs line (Reading–Gatwick Airport)

Please check before you travel.

Friday, August 19: Trains will continue to be disrupted. Please make alternative travel arrangements and only travel if absolutely necessary.

Trains will start later and there will be a reduced level of service throughout the day. Please check before you travel.

Saturday, August 20: An extremely limited service will operate. Services will start later and finish much earlier than normal. No rail services will operate on the following routes:

  • No trains will operate in/out of Bristol Temple Meads
  • Between Bristol Temple Meads to Swindon
  • Between Bristol and Gloucester
  • Between Bristol and Taunton
  • Between Cardiff Central and Bath Spa
  • All lines in Cornwall, including all branch lines
  • West of Newton Abbot (change at Exeter) towards Plymouth/Cornwall
  • All branch lines in Devon (Barnstaple, Exmouth, Paignton, Okehampton)
  • South Wales main line (Carmarthen/Swansea–Cardiff Central)
  • Berks & Hants line (between Reading–Westbury)
  • Wessex main line (Bath Spa–Portsmouth Harbour)
  • Heart of Wessex line (Westbury–Weymouth)
  • TransWilts line (trains will operate non-stop between Swindon and Westbury)
  • Severn Beach line (Bristol Temple Meads–Severn Beach)
  • North Cotswolds line (Hereford/Worcester–Oxford)
  • South Cotswolds line (Cheltenham Spa–Swindon)
  • Worcester/Gloucester
  • Greenford branch line
  • North Downs line (Reading–Gatwick Airport)

Please check before you travel.

Sunday, August 21: Trains will start later, however a normal level of service is expected. Please check before you travel. Trains are expected to be extremely busy.