Commuters travelling by rail to work this morning will be experiencing new rail timetables. Although timetables are changed every May and December, these amendments have been put in place to predominantly tackle disruptions caused by strike action; creating a better service with more trains and faster journeys. The renewed schedules, which are due to run until Saturday 16th May 2020, however, have gotten off to a poor start with commuters experiencing severe delays and cancellations this morning.
The Great Western Railway (GWR) has cancelled and curtailed many train services, including those linking London Paddington with South Wales and the west of England causing delays across the UK.
GWR have said that services between Penzance and London have also been cancelled Speaking to the Independent the train firm stated: “Services between Exeter and Plymouth will be supported by additional road vehicles; adding up to an hour on journey times.”
The dispute between South Western Railway (SWR) and the National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers (RMT) has continued to take a toll on commuters who use the London Waterloo Service with many still facing delays and cancellations. Travel to Wales has become particularly difficult as new services are also being cancelled, passengers travelling to Pwllheli and Machynlleth are facing delays this morning, despite the service changes that were designed to improve schedules.
If you are due to travel by rail, particularly with SWR, in the coming days make sure you to check your travel route in plenty of time. You may need to plan your journey using another railway service or alternative transport. Find out more about renewed schedules and timetables by visiting the National Rail website.
If you are delayed by 15 minutes or more as a result of strike action – SWR will provide you with compensation as part of their Delay Repay scheme. Compensation for delays on other rail services will differ, so check the company’s website. Make sure to keep up-to-date with travel information to avoid further service disruptions.
