West Midlands Railway announced the suspension of a planned two-day strike scheduled for Friday and Saturday, 1 and 2 August 2026. The industrial action was set to disrupt services operated by West Midlands Railway due to ongoing negotiations with the TSSA trade union.
Routes and Areas Affected by the Planned Strike
The proposed industrial action would have impacted rail services across multiple counties including Birmingham, Warwickshire, Shropshire, Herefordshire, Worcestershire, Staffordshire, and the Black Country. Reduced or halted services were expected on key routes such as the Cross City line between Lichfield Trent Valley and Redditch/Bromsgrove, Wolverhampton to Walsall, Rugeley Trent Valley to Birmingham International, as well as routes
running via Birmingham Snow Hill and the Camp Hill line. Passengers using the Nuneaton to Leamington Spa line and routes from Birmingham New Street to Hereford and Shrewsbury would also have been affected.
Cause of the Planned Industrial Action
The strike was called over a dispute concerning payments related to rest day working. Members of the TSSA trade union were set to take part in the action unless an agreement was reached during discussions with West Midlands Railway management.
Official Statements and Service Continuity
West Midlands Railway confirmed that following further talks with the TSSA union, the strike has been suspended, allowing a full operating timetable to continue on the affected
routes over the weekend. Jonny Wiseman, customer experience director at West Midlands Railway, acknowledged the outcome as a positive development, noting the potential disruption the strike would have caused passengers.
Earlier in July, the same union carried out a two-day strike on 11 and 12 July 2026, which reduced services on the network. The suspension announced for 1 and 2 August means rail services will operate without disruption across affected routes this coming weekend.
