South Western Railway (SWR) has confirmed its services during industrial action by the ASLEF union and strike action by the RMT union in July.
Between Monday 17th and Wednesday 19th July, a nationwide ban on overtime by members of the ASLEF union will mean a reduced service across the SWR network.
On the Island Line, an hourly service will operate between Monday 17th and Saturday 22nd July. On Saturday 22nd, an hourly service will operate, ending at around 21:00.
A normal Sunday timetable will operate on Sunday 23rd July however a small number of services will be cancelled due to RMT strike action on the previous day. Customers should check before travelling as engineering work will also take place.
Services on Saturday 29th July will be announced in due course, however, SWR can confirm a significantly reduced service will operate and is likely to be similar to the service on Saturday 22nd. Trains will only operate between the hours of 07:00 and 19:00, with last trains departing at around 17:00. Customers will be advised to only travel if absolutely necessary.
Stuart Meek, Chief Operating Officer at South Western Railway, commented:
“We’re sorry that customers will again face disruption due to industrial action by the ASLEF union and strike action by the RMT union. Anybody planning to travel on days affected by the ASLEF union’s industrial action should check their whole journey before they set off and be aware that services are likely to be busier than usual.”
“As with the last ASLEF overtime ban, instead of making numerous short-notice amendments and cancellations to our standard timetable, we will operate an amended timetable that we have a high degree of confidence we can reliably and safely deliver. We hope this will give our customers greater certainty when planning their journeys.”
Article continues below this advertisement “On days of strike action by the RMT union we are sorry to ask that customers should only travel if absolutely necessary. We have worked hard to improve our service offering during RMT strike action and are pleased to confirm that we will operate services to and from Ascot on Thursday 20th.”
But is it reduced service because of the strike, or because it’s impossible for these trains to meet the current timetable? The crossover isn’t half way, both trains can’t meet the ferry…
It doesn’t help with the bloody steam railway being open, The extra stop at Smallbrook Junction and no padding in the timetable to allow for it, I’ve noticed this before, trains run to timetable until the steam railway opens and then trains start to run late and cannot make the time up so as the day goes on they just get later and later but as soon as steam railway closes within an hour or so the trains are running back on time, SWR/Islandline need to think about what is more important, passengers getting to pier to make the ferry or a bunch of chuffer nutters wanting to take pics of steam trains.
Who could tell the difference anyway? Such a useless and totally unreliable service.
Both their customers must be at wits-end.
I keep telling everyone to tar-mac the lot, create a relief road then to by-pass Brading turning it back into a peaceful village without so many cars.
Any narrow points along the track we can supply Gabion cages to bridge voids etc.
Trains were axed for good reason, they only collect and take you to places you likely don’t wish to be at.
A road created for just electric shuttle buses would be better, would save millions in track safety and upkeep and could be driven by far more people so not held to ransom by little twits thinking they are worth more than they deserve.