Severe disruption on train line through Axminster over Christmas period

South Western Railway (SWR) is urging customers to check before they travel and expect disruption from Sunday, December 18 to Monday, January 2 due to planned strike action.

This action includes a ban on National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers (RMT) members working overtime or on rest days and affects people in a variety of roles, including guards on trains as well as dispatchers on platforms and shunters in depots.

This means that SWR's ability to operate train services is significantly limited throughout the extended period of industrial action.

On some dates across this period, there are also major engineering works taking place which further complicates the planning of services.

Due to the knock-on impact of RMT strike action and long-planned engineering works, customers are urged to only travel if absolutely necessary on December 18.

There will be a severely reduced service on a very limited number of routes, from 7am to 10pm only, consisting of:

• Four trains per hour in each direction between London Waterloo and Woking
• Two trains per hour in each direction between London Waterloo and Basingstoke
• Two trains per hour in each direction between London Waterloo and Southampton Central
• One train per hour between Basingstoke and Salisbury

Trains will not stop at all the stations on some of these routes. There will be no SWR services across the rest of the network on December 18, including through Axminster.

Due to strike action affecting Network Rail, limiting the infrastructure available to SWR to run services, customers are also urged to only travel if absolutely necessary on December 24 and 27.

On Christmas Eve there will be a reduced service with an early shutdown. Some of the last services from London Waterloo will leave as early as 12noon, with all services finished and trains taken out of service by 3pm.

No services will be running on Christmas Day and Boxing Day.

On December 27, there will be a late start-up from about 12noon, followed by a reduced service.

Customers who have no choice but to travel should check the SWR website to see which services are running on these days.

For the rest of the industrial action period, from December 19 to 23, and from December 28 to January 2, SWR will run a reduced service from 7am to 10pm only and customers should check their whole journey before they travel, as some parts of the network will be closed.

South Western Railway's performance and planning director, Steve Tyler, said: "We are very sorry that the RMT overtime ban will severely disrupt our customers travel plans throughout the Christmas period and into the New Year.

"While not a strike, the overtime ban limits the number of trains we can get into service each day and we have had to make some difficult decisions to be able to provide a reliable and consistent service throughout the period.

"We are urging customers to check their entire journey before setting off and thank them for their patience and cooperation during this damaging industrial action by the RMT."

In addition, the RMT has announced that its members at Network Rail and train operating companies, including SWR, will be taking strike action on January 3, 4, 7 and 7 2023.

SWR will update customers once it has confirmed what service levels it can provide during this period.

Summary of SWR travel advice from December 18 to January 2: 

Sunday, December 18 – only travel if absolutely necessary

Monday, December 19 to Friday, December 23 – check before you travel

Saturday, December 24 – only travel if absolutely necessary

Sunday, December 25 and Monday, December 26 – no service

Tuesday, December 27 – only travel if absolutely necessary

Wednesday, December 28 to Monday, January 2 – check before you travel

Customers are urged to check the SWR website for the latest travel advice for each day of the industrial action at www.southwesternrailway.com/strike