West Midlands Railway has suspended two days of strike action by TSSA trade union members planned for Friday and Saturday of the week ending 1 August 2026 following further talks, avoiding disruption to rail services across the region.
Affected West Midlands Railway Routes
The planned strike would have disrupted services across the West Midlands Railway network, including Birmingham, the Black Country, Wolverhampton, Warwickshire, Shropshire, Herefordshire, Worcestershire, and Staffordshire.
The strike threat extended to specific lines including the Cross City line from Lichfield Trent Valley to Redditch and Bromsgrove, Wolverhampton to Walsall, and Rugeley Trent Valley to Birmingham International. Services via Birmingham Snow Hill, the Camp
Hill line, Nuneaton to Leamington Spa, and Birmingham New Street to Hereford and Shrewsbury were also expected to be affected.
Strike Background and Previous Actions
The dispute over rest day working payments between West Midlands Railway and the TSSA union led to the strike action. Members of the TSSA previously took strike action on 11 and 12 July 2026, causing reduced services on the network.
Official Response and Passenger Impact
West Midlands Railway announced the strike suspension after further talks with the TSSA union, allowing a full service with a normal timetable to proceed on all routes. Jonny Wiseman, customer experience director at West Midlands Railway, said the company was
pleased at the suspension, as it would have been disruptive for customers.
The cancellation of the strike avoids delays and cancellations that would have disrupted rail passengers across the West Midlands and surrounding counties, maintaining uninterrupted train services for commuters and travelers.
