August strike service levels have been published for customers. This follows the RMT union announcement that strike action will take place on Thursday 18th and Saturday 20th August 2022. Strikes will also be taking place on most other Train Operating Companies and at Network Rail on this date. The TSSA union has announced that strike action will take place on these two dates, although not at South Western Railway (SWR). There will also be separate RMT-led strikes affecting the London Underground on Friday 19th August 2022.
SWR remains rail customers that they should only travel by rail if absolutely necessary, and if they must travel to expect severe disruption. Those who have no choice but to travel are urged to check times carefully via nationalrail.co.uk
SWR announces August strike service levels
- Due to the planned national strike, SWR customers are urged only to travel by rail if absolutely necessary between 18 and 21 August
- SWR will run a severely reduced service on Thursday 18 August and Saturday 20 August, with significant parts of the network closed entirely
- The severely reduced service will run between 07:15 and 18:30 on a limited number of routes for those who have no choice but to travel
- Friday 19 and Sunday 21 August will be significantly impacted by the strike; first trains across the network will start much later than usual
SWR has published its strike days service levels for Thursday 18 August and Saturday 20 August, which will provide a severely reduced service on the routes Network Rail has made available.
Significant parts of the network will be closed entirely and those trains that are running will be far less frequent and much busier compared to normal. Staff at Network Rail and more than 2,100 SWR members are set to take strike action on Thursday 18 and Saturday 20 August, causing severe disruption. Network Rail will provide contingency cover for critical roles including electrical control room operators, signallers, maintenance, and response teams, but will not be able to cover the whole day.
SWR’s reduced timetable will run from 07:15 to 18:30 on the 18 and 20 August strike days, and will consist of:
- Four trains per hour in each direction between London Waterloo and Windsor & Eton Riverside via Hounslow
- Two semi-fast trains per hour in each direction between London Waterloo and Basingstoke
- Four trains per hour in each direction between London Waterloo and Woking
- Two fast trains per hour in each direction between London Waterloo and Southampton Central
- Trains will not stop at all the stations on these routes. There will be no SWR services across the rest of the network.
TfL Underground and Overground services will be affected by strikes all day on Friday 19 August, with some bus services disrupted on Friday 19 and Saturday 20 August. Connections with SWR services in London are likely to be impacted, or not run at all.
SWR will not be affected by the planned ASLEF strike action on Saturday 13 August, but some other train companies will be, so customers should check before they travel.
South Western Railway’s Commercial Director, Peter Williams, said:
“Please only travel if absolutely necessary between Thursday 18 and Sunday 21 August as strike action will severely impact our services. Those who must travel are urged to carefully check the times of first and last trains and seek alternative means of travel.
“The scale of the action will be incredibly disruptive for our customers with large parts of our network closed on strike days and a late start up on the morning after each strike day. First trains will run much later than usual and are likely to be very busy, so please travel later in the day if you can.
“We are sorry that strikes will again cause such disruption. We are grateful to our customers for their continued cooperation, patience, and understanding as the rail industry works to bring this damaging nationwide strike action to an end.”
Further Information
Please see the map above for strike day services and for more information is available at www.southwesternrailway.com/strike
Journey planners are likely to be updated 2-4 days in advance of the strike period.
Summary of the services running on 18 and 20 August:
| Waterloo to Southampton | Waterloo to Woking | Waterloo to Basingstoke | Waterloo to Windsor |
| 2 fast trains per hour each way | 4 trains per hour each way | 2 trains per hour each way | 4 trains per hour each way |
| First train from Waterloo: 0730 | First train from Waterloo: 0720 | First train from Waterloo: 0715 | First train from Waterloo: 0715 |
| Last train from Waterloo: 1700 | Last train from Waterloo: 1705 | Last train from Waterloo: 1745 | Last train from Waterloo: 1722 |
| First train from Southampton: 0730 | First train from Woking: 0718 | First train from Basingstoke: 0724 | First train from Windsor: 0730 |
| Last train from Southampton: 1659 | Last train from Woking: 1748 | Last train from Basingstoke: 1654 | Last train from Windsor: 1730 |
| Services will call at:
London Waterloo Clapham Junction Woking Basingstoke Winchester Eastleigh Southampton Airport Southampton Central |
Services will call at:
London Waterloo Clapham Junction Wimbledon Surbiton Esher Hersham Walton-on-Thames Weybridge Byfleet & New Haw West Byfleet Woking |
Services will call at:
London Waterloo Clapham Junction Surbiton Woking Brookwood Farnborough Fleet Winchfield Hook Basingstoke
|
Services will call at:
London Waterloo Vauxhall Clapham Junction Wandsworth Town Putney Barnes Barnes Bridge Chiswick Kew Bridge Brentford Syon Lane Isleworth Hounslow Feltham Ashford Staines Wraysbury Sunnymeads Datchet Windsor & Eton Riverside |
The Island Line is not subject to strike action and will operate as usual.
SWR services will not be affected by the ASLEF strike due to take place on Saturday 13 August.