Chiltern strike on Thursday: what changes at Birmingham Moor Street and how to plan your journey

Rail passengers using Birmingham Moor Street should check their journeys before Thursday, when a 24-hour strike by train managers will reduce Chiltern Railways services between Birmingham, Leamington Spa and Stratford-upon-Avon, the BBC reports. Chiltern says it still expects to run most of its trains.

What is changing on Thursday

• No Chiltern Railways trains will run between Stratford-upon-Avon and Leamington Spa. Passengers are advised to use the local operator's trains between Stratford-upon-Avon and Dorridge and connect onwards.
• There will be a reduced service between Leamington Spa and Birmingham Moor Street, because local shuttle services will not run. Passengers travelling from Hatton and Lapworth are expected to be particularly affected.
• No Chiltern Railways trains will run north of Birmingham Moor Street. Passengers heading towards Stourbridge Junction should use the local operator's services instead.
• The last northbound train towards Stourbridge Junction and on to Worcester Shrub Hill will leave Birmingham Moor Street at 10.57pm.

"The vast majority of our services"

Tony Baxter, Chiltern Railways' interim managing director, said the company was "disappointed" by the action but expected to run "the vast majority of our services on that day".

He said the company was "committed to working with the RMT to resolve this" and urged the union to work with it.

What the dispute is about

Train managers who are members of the RMT union are striking in a dispute over staffing on the planned East West Rail route, which will link Oxford and Cambridge. The union is concerned about plans for driver-only operation of the doors on East West Rail services, arguing it could undermine passenger safety and threaten existing train manager roles. RMT general secretary Eddie Dempsey said the union remained determined to resist any attempt to weaken safety standards.

Mr Baxter responded: "Every East West Rail service will have two people on board - the driver and a colleague looking after passengers, checking tickets, helping people who need assistance and assisting with any issues. 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."

Plan ahead

Chiltern's trains from Moor Street are popular with commuters heading to Solihull, Warwick and Leamington Spa, and with weekend visitors to Stratford-upon-Avon. Anyone travelling on Thursday should check the latest times with National Rail Enquiries or Chiltern Railways before setting off, allow extra time and consider alternative routes where trains are reduced.

Talks between the company and the union continue, and passengers will hope for a settlement that avoids further disruption in the run-up to Christmas.