Industrial action to heavily affect Chiltern services between Monday 29 January – Tuesday 6 February, with no trains running on Sunday 4 and Monday 5 February

Chiltern Railways is warning customers that industrial action by ASLEF will affect journeys next week. The train operator has been working on contingency plans to provide as many services as possible, but an overtime ban and strike action will result in a significantly reduced service. Customers should check before they travel on days when trains are running.  

Between Monday 29 January and Friday 2 February, as well as Tuesday 6 February, customers should check their full journey before travelling. A reduced timetable will be in operation across the Chiltern network, with services on all routes finishing earlier than usual. 

On Saturday 3 February, owing to engineering works, a greatly reduced service will be in operation. The Chiltern main line will be closed between Princes Risborough and London, meaning that rail replacement bus services will be in place between Bicester and Aylesbury Vale Parkway, and Princes Risborough and Hillingdon Underground station, for onward connections into London. 

Alongside strike action at other operators in the West Midlands, and the overtime ban on Chiltern Railways, services are expected to be extremely busy. Customers should only travel on this day if absolutely essential.  

On Sunday 4 February, no trains will run as the withdrawal of overtime and rest day working has a higher impact on Chiltern’s Sunday service. 

On Monday 5 February, strike action on the Chiltern network means that no trains will run.  

Normal service is expected to resume on Wednesday 7 February.  

Richard Allan, Managing Director at Chiltern Railways, said:  

"We understand the impact that this period of industrial action will have on our customers and we are sorry for the disruption to their travel plans. 

"Customers should check their entire journey on each day of the period of industrial action, with operators affected differently on each day." 

Customers are advised that they can check their full journey on the Chiltern Railways website or app, and find more information on how industrial action will affect them by visiting www.chilternrailways.co.uk/strike.  

Service levels 

Monday 29 January - Friday 2 February, and Tuesday 6 February 

Customers should check their full journey before travelling, as a reduced timetable will be in operation, with services finishing earlier than usual on all routes.  

• Normal service between London Marylebone and Oxford 
• Normal service between Aylesbury and Princes Risborough 
• One train per hour between London Marylebone and Birmingham Moor Street 
• One train per hour between London Marylebone and Aylesbury Vale Parkway 
• Shuttle service between Leamington Spa and Stratford upon Avon between the hours of 07:30 and 19:00. 

Saturday 3 February 

Customer should only travel if absolutely essential, owing to engineering works on the Chiltern main line and strike action at other operators. Journeys will be disrupted, and services will be significantly busier than usual.  

• Two trains per hour between London Marylebone and Aylesbury Vale Parkway 
• One train per hour between Oxford and Princes Risborough 
• One train per hour between Birmingham Moor Street and Bicester North 
• One train per hour between Aylesbury and Princes Risborough 
• One train every two hours between Leamington Spa and Stratford upon Avon 

Rail replacement bus services will run between: 

• Bicester North/Bicester Village and Aylesbury Vale Parkway, for connections to Chiltern services towards London 
• Princes Risborough and Hillingdon, for connections to the London Underground network 
• West Ruislip and Hillingdon  

Sunday 4 February and Monday 5 February 

No Chiltern Railways services will operate.