Salisbury train services severely reduced during overtime ban

On Sunday 18th December, Salisbury train services will almost be wiped out. SWR will only provide an hourly train service to Basingstoke and on all other non-strike days in December and early January services will be greatly reduced too.

There has currently been no update from GWR about their service during the overtime ban periods, though on their website they state the expect to run a full service.

This action includes a ban on RMT members working overtime or on rest days and affects people in a variety of roles, including guards on trains as well as dispatchers on platforms and shunters in our depots. This means that SWR’s ability to operate train services is significantly limited throughout the extended period of industrial action.  

The railway industry as a whole relies on staff working overtime and on their days off.

On some dates across this period there are also major engineering works taking place which further complicates the planning of services. 

Due to the knock-on impact of RMT strike action and long-planned engineering works, customers are urged to only travel if absolutely necessary on 18 December. There will be a severely reduced service on a very limited number of routes, from 0700 to 2200 only, consisting of: 

Trains will not stop at all the stations on some of these routes. There will be no SWR services across the rest of the network on 18 December. 

Due to strike action affecting Network Rail, limiting the infrastructure available to SWR to run services, customers are also urged to only travel if absolutely necessary on 24 and 27 December.  

On 24 December (Christmas Eve), there will be a reduced service with an early shutdown. Some last services from London Waterloo will leave as early as midday, with all services finished and trains taken out of service by 1500. On 27 December, there will be a late start-up from around 1200 followed by a reduced service. 

Customers who have no choice but to travel should check the SWR website to see which services are running on these days.  

For the rest of the industrial action period, from 19 to 23 December and from 28 December to 2 January, SWR will run a reduced service from 0700 to 2200 only and customers should check their whole journey before they travel, as some parts of the network will be closed.  

During this time, again SWR services though Salisbury will be greatly reduced.

South Western Railway’s Performance and Planning Director, Steve Tyler, said: 

“We are very sorry that the RMT overtime ban will severely disrupt our customers travel plans throughout the Christmas period and into the New Year.  

“While not a strike, the overtime ban limits the number of trains we can get into service each day and we have had to make some difficult decisions to be able to provide a reliable and consistent service throughout the period.  

“We are urging customers to check their entire journey before setting off and thank them for their patience and cooperation during this damaging industrial action by the RMT.” 

In addition, the RMT has announced that its members at Network Rail and train operating companies including SWR will be taking strike action on 3, 4, 6, and 7 January 2023.  

SWR will update customers once it has confirmed what service levels it can provide during this period. 

Summary of SWR travel advice from 18 December to 2 January: 

Customers are urged to check the SWR website for the latest travel advice for each day of the industrial action at: www.southwesternrailway.com/strike