165039 at London Marylebone

Chiltern Railways warn customers of significant industrial action impact from May 12

Train operator Chiltern Railways has warned customers of the significant impact that industrial action by rail unions ASLEF and RMT will have on its service from May 12. 

On May 12, no trains will run on any Chiltern route due to strike action by ASLEF. 

Between May 13 and May 21, Chiltern Railways is urging customers to only travel if absolutely essential.  

A significantly reduced timetable will be in place throughout most of this period due to strike action by the RMT on May 13 and industrial action (overtime ban) by ASLEF between May 15 and May 20. On these days, some parts of the Chiltern network will have no service. Where services are running, they are likely to be extremely busy. 

The overtime ban means that Chiltern will have less drivers than usual each day, and that the operator will be unable to move and position its fleet of trains how it normally would overnight. Owing to this, a reduced timetable is in operation throughout the overtime ban period. 

On May 13 and May 14, Wembley Stadium station and the associated events will not be served. Customers seeking to travel to the Vanarama National League Play-Off Final and Women’s FA Cup Final respectively should use London Underground services to get to Wembley Stadium. 

On days not directly impacted by industrial action between May 12 and May 21, train services will start later than usual. 

Chiltern Railways is aware of further strike action and overtime ban between May 31 and June 4, and will update customers on its service provision and travel advice in due course.  

Due to the severe impact of the disruption facing customers between May 12 and May 21, Chiltern Railways has warned customers that they should only travel if essential.  

If travelling is a necessity, customers should check their travel plans in advance on the Chiltern Railways website (www.chilternrailways.co.uk) or app. 

More information, exact service levels and FAQs can be found on www.chilternrailways.co.uk/strike.  

Service summary 

May 12 (ASLEF Strike) 

  • No Chiltern Railways service on any route. 

May 13 (RMT Strike) 

  • No trains north of Banbury. No trains to call at Wembley Stadium. 
  • A very limited service between London Marylebone and stations to Banbury/Oxford/Aylesbury via Amersham – expect busier trains. 
  • Rail replacement buses between Princes Risborough and Aylesbury due to engineering work. 

May 14 (non-strike day) 

  • No trains to call at Wembley Stadium. 
  • Trains will start later than usual at approximately 10AM. 

May 15 – May 19 (ASLEF Overtime Ban)  

  • Very limited service between London Marylebone and stations to Birmingham/Oxford only – expect busier trains. 
  • Rail replacement bus in operation between Aylesbury Vale Parkway and Amersham for connections to the London Underground network.  

May 20 (ASLEF Overtime Ban) 

  • Very limited service between London Marylebone and stations to Birmingham/Oxford only – expect busier trains. 
  • Rail replacement bus in operation between Aylesbury and Princes Risborough, and Aylesbury Vale Parkway, Amersham and Beaconsfield due to engineering work.  

May 21 (non-strike day)  

  • Rail replacement bus in operation between Aylesbury and Princes Risborough, and Aylesbury Vale Parkway, Amersham and Beaconsfield due to engineering work.  
  • Due to engineering work, there are no services between London Marylebone and Bicester North/Bicester Village until approximately 10AM. Replacement buses will run from Bicester North/Village to Hillingdon Underground station, connecting with London Underground services to Baker Street. 

Contact Information

Notes to editors

About Chiltern

  • Chiltern Railways is part of the Arriva group, one of the leading providers of passenger transport in Europe, employing 53,000 people and delivering 2 billion passenger journeys a year across 14 European countries. Arriva are part of Deutsche Bahn (DB), one of the world’s leading passenger and logistics companies, responsible for DB's passenger transport services outside Germany.
  • Chiltern operates commuter/regional rail passenger services from its Central London terminus at London Marylebone along the M40 corridor to destinations in Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire and Warwickshire, as well as long-distance services to the West Midlands along two routes. Services on the Chiltern Main Line run from London Marylebone to Birmingham Snow Hill, Stratford-upon-Avon and Oxford, with some peak-hour services to Kidderminster.
  • Chiltern also runs trains on the London to Aylesbury Line to Aylesbury (with some trains terminating at Aylesbury Vale Parkway instead), on the Princes Risborough to Aylesbury and Oxford to Bicester branch lines.