TSSA rail strike to disrupt London Euston services this weekend
Transport Salaried Staffs Association members are staging a two-day walkout, resulting in a significantly reduced timetable for London Northwestern and West Midlands Railway passengers.
London’s main inter‑city terminus, Euston, will see a sharply reduced timetable this weekend as the Transport Salaried Staffs Association (TSSA) stages a two‑day walkout on Friday 10 July and Saturday 11 July. The action targets services operated by London Northwestern Railway (LNR) and West Midlands Railway (WMR), both run by West Midlands Trains, and follows a similar strike in May that already disrupted the capital’s rail network.
How the strike unfolded – a timeline
The dispute centres on “rest day working payments”, with the union demanding that its members – crew managers, control staff and roster clerks – receive parity with colleagues covered by other unions. After a stalemate, TSSA members voted for industrial action, first in May and again in July.
Media additions
- May 22‑23 2026: The first walkout hit LNR and WMR, prompting National Rail to warn that only a “small number of trains will run”. No services operated after 7 p.m. On Friday and none ran before 7 a.m. On Saturday.
- July 10‑11 2026: A second round repeats the pattern, with LNR confirming a “limited timetable” on both days and stating that the final services will depart by 5.30 p.m. On Friday and that the first trains on Saturday will start at 7 a.m.
Both episodes have been framed by the union as “legitimate action” taken only as a last resort, while operators stress they are “doing all we can to minimise the impact”.
Service reductions – what will run and what won’t
National Rail’s incident page lists the specific routes that will retain a reduced service. On both strike days, only one train per hour will operate between London Euston and Birmingham New Street via Northampton.
On the Cross City line, two trains per hour will continue between Lichfield and Redditch/Bromsgrove via Birmingham New Street. The Wolverhampton‑Walsall‑Rugeley Trent Valley route will see a single hourly service via Birmingham International Airport.
No trains will run past 19:00, with final departures significantly earlier. The Saturday timetable will start later, with the first LNR services leaving at 7 a.m.
Union and management statements – differing tones
“These strikes will go ahead as planned because our members have not been given parity with those in other unions – a perfectly reasonable demand. As things stand we face an intolerable situation. Our reps at West Midlands Trains have consulted the membership and they remain determined to proceed with their legitimate action.”
Maryam Eslamdoust, TSSA General Secretary, via Rail Business Daily
“We encourage TSSA to continue talks with us to reach a resolution to this dispute. This strike action will cause disruption to our customers with a significantly reduced timetable in operation on both dates. We are doing all we can to minimise the impact as far as possible and apologise to customers for the inconvenience. However, where services are running, we advise customers to only travel if necessary and to allow more time for their journey.”
Ian McConnell, LNR Managing Director, via Metro
Jonny Wiseman, LNR’s Customer Experience Director, added that the operator is “disappointed TSSA has called further unnecessary strike action which is set to cause significant disruption for our customers”. He urged passengers to “check before they travel by visiting journey planners and our website”.
Passenger advice – tickets, refunds and alternatives
National Rail advises that tickets for the cancelled services can be used on alternative LNR or WMR services on Thursday 9 July or Sunday 12 July, or passengers may claim a full refund at the point of purchase with no administration fee. The operator also notes that the Journey Planner does not yet reflect the changes, urging travellers to re‑check the site regularly.
Broader rail context – other disruptions looming
While the TSSA walkout dominates the weekend timetable, The Standard and inkl articles remind readers that Avanti West Coast is also adjusting services, cutting roughly one‑seventh of its weekday trains on the London‑Birmingham‑Liverpool‑Manchester corridor from 20 July to 28 August. The operator frames the cuts as a response to a Department for Transport request to reduce spending.
What to watch next
- Sunday displacement: Both Rail Business Daily and the ianvisits piece warn of “some disruption to services” on the morning of Sunday 12 July as trains displaced by the strike return to their normal schedules.
- Negotiations: The union has said it remains “open to further discussions” and will consider additional action if parity is not achieved, while LNR continues to urge talks.
