Customers discouraged from train travel to coast due to strike

South Western Railway (SWR) customers are being discouraged from travelling to the coast later this week and over next weekend – with strike action set to cause severe disruption.

While fine weather might make a day trip to the beach an attractive prospect – SWR is urging its customers to only travel if absolutely necessary from Thursday 18 to Sunday August 21.

Due to the strike action taking place on Thursday 18 and Saturday August 20, there will be severe disruption across the network – with a severe reduced service on available routes and large parts of the railway closed entirely.

The rail operator urges customers who need to travel during the strike period to do so by other means and only if ‘absolutely necessary’ on Friday 19 and Sunday August 21 – when first trains will start much later than usual across the network and are likely to be very busy.

Anyone with day trips to London planned is also urged to check information about the industrial action on Transport for London (TfL) services.

London Underground and Overground services will be affected by strikes all day on Friday August 19, with some bus services also disrupted on that day and Saturday August 20. Connections with SWR services in London are likely to be impacted, or not run at all.

SWR’s Commercial Director, Peter Williams, said: “We know that a combination of sunny weather and school holidays make a day trip to one of the brilliant beaches on our network a tempting prospect. That’s why we’re sorry to have to ask our customers to only travel if absolutely necessary over the forthcoming strike period.

“The scale of the action will be incredibly disruptive for our customers with large parts of our network closed on strike days and a late start up on the morning after each strike day. First trains will run much later than usual and are likely to be very busy, so if you have to travel, please do so later if you can.

“We are sorry that strikes will again cause such disruption. We are grateful to our customers for their continued cooperation, patience, and understanding as the rail industry works to bring this damaging nationwide strike action to an end”.

Customers are urged to check the SWR website for the latest information.