RMT rail strikes October 2026: which trains cancelled at Chiltern

Chiltern Railways says more than 93 per cent of its services will run as usual on both strike Saturdays, 10 and 17 October, according to the Leamington Observer. There will, however, be no trains between Leamington and Stratford on either day. For anyone asking about RMT rail strikes October 2026 which trains cancelled, that route is the main confirmed loss, alongside four part-journey services into and out of Marylebone.

The Observer reports that Chiltern has uploaded timetables for both days to journey planners, with more information on the Chiltern Railways website. RMT members will strike for 24 hours on each Saturday over planned driver-only operation on East West Rail services. The union says it remains open to talks.

Which trains are cancelled in the Chiltern strike

The Stratford Herald reported that all services between Stratford and Leamington will be cancelled on both Saturdays. Chiltern has said most of its services will run as usual, but the Herald notes that this does not include the Stratford to Leamington route. The Leamington Observer’s headline put it plainly: two days of no trains on that line.

The Observer adds that Chiltern’s bosses say more than 93 per cent of services will run as usual on both weekends. As an illustration of our own, not a Chiltern figure: if a weekend had 100 scheduled trains, that would mean fewer than seven not running as usual. The sources do not say how the percentage is calculated, or whether it counts the cancelled local route and the part-journey services.

Passengers travelling to London have been told that “the normal number of trains will run into and out of London Marylebone”, according to the Herald. Four services will run for only part of their journeys, as the table shows.

Our reading of the table, not a statement from Chiltern, is that passengers boarding at Stourbridge Junction or intermediate stations before the new starting points will not find those two morning trains at their station. Anyone on the two evening trains heading beyond Birmingham Moor Street or Banbury will need another way to finish the journey. None of the sources says whether replacement transport will be provided.

Why the RMT is striking at Chiltern

The Rail, Maritime and Transport union says Chiltern has refused to “provide guarantees over the safety-critical role of the second person on board proposed East West Rail services”, according to the Stratford Herald. RMT general secretary Eddie Dempsey said the driver-only operation proposed represented a significant risk to safety and to current train manager roles, the Leamington Observer reports. He also said, as quoted by the Oxford Mail: “The actions of Chiltern management to not take these concerns seriously is totally unacceptable. RMT will not accept the watering down of safety on the rail network.”

Tony Baxter, interim managing director of Chiltern Railways, said the company was “disappointed” by the vote and expects “to operate the vast majority of our services, limiting the impact on customers”. He said every East West Rail service will have two people on board, the driver and a colleague looking after passengers. He added: “We have run most of our trains with the driver in control of the doors for decades, safely and as approved by the independent rail regulator.” Mr Baxter also said the plans mean over 100 new permanent jobs at Chiltern and no changes to the roles of existing colleagues.

The Herald says train managers’ roles, which are not used on the Stratford to Leamington service, are thought to be at risk in the wider dispute. The Department for Transport has defended driver-only operation on similar grounds, the Oxford Mail reported. The line between Oxford and Milton Keynes was due to begin services by the end of December 2025 but has faced significant delays, and the wider project is now expected to be completed in the mid to late 2030s.

How earlier strike days have played out

A strike notice does not always mean a day without trains, and Chiltern’s own plan points to a mostly running service. The best historical comparison in our sources is London Underground in 2010, when a written answer to the London Assembly recorded nine 24-hour strikes. Four of those had no significant impact on services, while four others, in a dispute over operational reorganisation and ticket office changes involving the RMT and TSSA unions, caused significant disruption.

The London Mayor’s written response said that on each of those four occasions service operated on all but one line, though some sections of lines and some stations were closed. Over 40 per cent of services operated during the most recent of them. The number of staff on strike ranged from 3,423 to 4,833, a gap of 1,410.

That is a different network, dispute and year, so it cannot forecast what will happen on Chiltern. It does show that a partial service is a common outcome, and that the effect depends on the route. Chiltern’s published plan suggests the same pattern: normal numbers into Marylebone, but a complete loss of one local route.

What to do before 10 and 17 October

Start by checking which of the affected services you use. If you travel between Stratford and Leamington on either Saturday, there will be no Chiltern train, so plan another way to travel or move the trip. If you use the Marylebone route, look at the four curtailed services above, because those are the ones the Herald names as running only part of their journeys.

Chiltern’s timetables for both days are on journey planners, according to the Leamington Observer, so use the National Rail journey planner and the Chiltern Railways website the day before and again on the morning itself. Transport for London’s National Rail status page showed Chiltern Railways with “Good service” when we checked. In our reading that describes running at that time, not the strike Saturdays, so do not treat it as a sign that the plans have changed.

The two strikes are a week apart, so treat them as two separate checks: 24 hours on Saturday 10 October and 24 hours on Saturday 17 October. If your journey is flexible, consider another day. If it is not, allow extra time, avoid tight connections and keep your ticket, because the sources do not say what refund arrangements apply. The union says it remains open to talks, so details could still change.

Your questions answered

What train services are affected by RMT strikes?

According to the Stratford Herald and the Leamington Observer, all Stratford-Leamington services are cancelled on Saturday 10 and 17 October. Four Chiltern services between Stourbridge Junction and London Marylebone will run for only part of their journeys. Chiltern says more than 93 per cent of its services will run as usual.

Which trains are running during rail strikes?

Chiltern says the normal number of trains will run into and out of London Marylebone, and that it expects to operate the vast majority of its services. The exceptions named so far are the Stratford-Leamington route and the four curtailed services in the table. Check the operator directly before you travel.

How do RMT strikes affect weekend travel?

Both strike days are Saturdays, so leisure trips, shopping journeys and weekend work shifts on Chiltern routes are the ones exposed. The strikes last 24 hours each. If you rely on the Stratford to Leamington line, plan an alternative or move the trip.