Planned strike action by members of the TSSA trade union against West Midlands Railway on Friday, 31 July 2026, and Saturday, 1 August 2026, has been called off following additional talks between the union and the rail operator.
Strike Dates and Affected Routes
The two-day strike was scheduled to disrupt services across the West Midlands Railway network, affecting routes through Birmingham, the Black Country, Wolverhampton, Warwickshire, Shropshire, Herefordshire, Worcestershire, and Staffordshire.
Planned reduced or cancelled services would have impacted the Cross City line from Lichfield Trent Valley to Redditch and Bromsgrove, the Wolverhampton to Walsall route, and Rugeley Trent Valley to Birmingham International. Other affected
lines included routes via Birmingham Snow Hill, the Camp Hill line, Nuneaton to Leamington Spa, and Birmingham New Street to Hereford and Shrewsbury.
Cause of the Strike
The walkout was called due to a dispute over rest day working payments for members of the TSSA trade union. An earlier strike by the same union on 11 and 12 July 2026 had already reduced rail services within the West Midlands Railway network.
Passenger Impact and Service Continuity
With the strike cancelled, West Midlands Railway will maintain a full normal timetable during the weekend of 31 July and 1 August 2026, avoiding anticipated delays and disruptions to passengers traveling across the
affected regions.
The rail operator confirmed that all routes will operate as usual with no alterations to the scheduled service.
Official Statements and Previous Strike Context
West Midlands Railway’s customer experience director expressed satisfaction with the strike suspension, noting the planned industrial action would have caused disruption for customers.
This cancellation follows an earlier TSSA strike this month that had already constrained services on 11 and 12 July 2026.
