Cross country strike action Saturday 18 October 2025

[whole diary]

[infoman]

    Train operator CrossCountry will run a limited service on Saturday 18 October due to planned industrial action by the National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers (RMT^▸ (National Union of Rail, Maritime & Transport Workers)).
    Fewer services will operate and there will be no service on some parts of the CrossCountry network.
    Customers are advised to check the CrossCountry website before travelling.

CrossCountry customers are being warned of significant travel disruption due to planned industrial action by the RMT union on Saturday 18 October.

The strike will see RMT union members in customer service roles declining to work.

All CrossCountry routes will be impacted, with a limited service on some routes and no services on others. Services will also finish much earlier than usual.

Trains that do run will be significantly busier than usual and services will also finish much earlier in the day so passengers are advised to plan return journeys carefully.

There will also be changes to some calling patterns on the day, so passengers should plan their journeys carefully before travelling.

    Shiona Rolfe, CrossCountry’s Managing Director, said: “We are disappointed for our customers that the RMT has announced more industrial action.  While we will try to run as many services as services as possible, customers will inevitably face significant disruption.  We are committed to reaching an agreement with the RMT and remain available to continue talks."

There is also planned engineering work over the weekend, which will further impact which CrossCountry services will run. Full details can be found on the CrossCountry website.

Passengers planning to travel with CrossCountry on Saturday 18 October should check before they travel with National Rail Enquiries or on the CrossCountry website app for the latest news and advice: www.crosscountrytrains.co.uk/travel-information/disruption/industrial-action 

Information on delay repay and alternative travel options are available at the same link.

The RMT has also announced planned industrial action on Saturday 1 November. More information will be released on what this means for CrossCountry passengers.

[John D]

Is it just me, or is it worded in such a way that I am reading it as we know there will be disruption and are resigned to it happening so advising you.

Rather than we are going all out to sort the (unnamed) reason behind it so you have a normal journey.

The more I think about it, the more cloak and dagger it seems, not referred to as a pay dispute etc, more worded as if the RMT^▸ (National Union of Rail, Maritime & Transport Workers) are doing Industrial Action for a reason we don't want to admit to (ie they run the staffing, not our HR^▸ (Human Resources) Department)

Normal businesses have HR Departments for one purpose, to ensure there are sufficient, trained staff, everyday that the business operates.   But appears XC^▸ (Cross Country Trains (franchise)) doesn't.

[grahame]

Normal businesses have HR^▸ (Human Resources) Departments for one purpose, to ensure there are sufficient, trained staff, everyday that the business operates.   But appears XC^▸ (Cross Country Trains (franchise)) doesn't.

A little more to HR departments than that IMHO^▸ ('in my humble opinion') - to ensure that staff are positive about their position, stable in their roles, treated legally, and ambassador for the business - though perhaps that's part of "trained"?

Cross Country are not unique in lacking staff, right place, right time, right training.  As I posted just a short while ago from GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) - "14:05 Frome to Swindon due 14:58 will be cancelled. This is due to a shortage of train crew." and this is all too common a story.   And yet the absolute number of people working for GWR (employees and under contracts) may be enough.  I was struck yesterday morning by their being at least five staff on duty at Chippenham Station. Dispatcher / platform - 1 - fair enough. Ticket office - at least 1 - again, that's AOK.  Gateline - 3 - standing around chatting, and I question the systems that are automated yet have so many exceptions and rejects that multiple people are needed in the role ... when perhaps they could be managing on trains or driving.  Revenue protection IS important (I will suggest) but, goodness, we have a staff intensive way of doing it and it eats into available headcount something shocking.

P.S. Sorry to drift off XC topic - they don't operate any stations. Just of Friday I was reading a historic piece when they objected to delay attributions assigned to them when one of their trains (as far as I can make out) hit someone who got onto the line from another TOC^▸ (Train Operating Company)'s platform.   We need to analyse delays for sure, but not with the zeal and presumably staff resource that seems to be used at times.

[JayMac]

Strike action suspended, but there will still be disruption.

BBC^» (British Broadcasting Corporation - home page) News - CrossCountry rail workers strike suspended by RMT^▸ (National Union of Rail, Maritime & Transport Workers) union.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cvgd5z7wgkdo