South Western Rail strikes: will your journey be affected?

Striking workers have accused the company of 'dragging its heels' over the issue of guaranteeing guards on trains. Credit: ITV News

Passengers across the West Country face travel disruption as rail unions begin four days of strike action on South Western Railway.

Striking workers have accused the company of 'dragging its heels' over the issue of guaranteeing guards on trains.

South Western Rail says it will be running just over half its normal timetable with rail replacements on some routes.

Passengers are being advised to check schedules before they travel.

Here's a round-up of some of the routes that are being affected:

Salisbury to London Waterloo:

  • A reduced service will run on this route, with an hourly service between Salisbury and London Waterloo.

Passengers are being advised to check before they travel. Credit: ITV News

Salisbury to Exeter:

  • A reduced train service will run between Salisbury and Exeter St David's with trains starting later and finishing earlier than usual. Trains will not stop at Feniton, Whimple, or Exeter St Davids.

  • There will be an hourly bus replacement service to travel to Honiton, so passengers can catch a train service from Honiton to Salisbury and change at Salisbury for a train service to London Waterloo.

  • To travel to Exeter from any of these stations, passengers are being advised to use the hourly bus replacement service from Honiton.

Salisbury to Bristol:

  • No trains running on this route.

  • Services will also not run between Yeovil Junction and Westbury via Frome.

  • Passengers are able to use Great Western Railway trains instead.

Weymouth to London Waterloo:

  • A reduced service will run on this route.

  • Hourly fast trains will run between London Waterloo and Bournemouth.

  • There will be an hourly train shuttle service between Bournemouth and Weymouth.

Bus replacement services will run on some routes. Credit: ITV News

Poole to London Waterloo:

  • London Waterloo to Poole (stopping services)

  • These trains will not run. If you are travelling to stations between Bournemouth and Poole, please change at Bournemouth and join the hourly train shuttle service between Bournemouth and Weymouth.

Can you use your train tickets on other services?

There are replacement bus services running from a number of stations.

Great Western Railway will accept tickets, at no extra cost, on the following routes/services:

  • Between Bristol Temple Meads and Salisbury, via Warminster

  • Between Salisbury and Portsmouth Harbour/Havant

  • Between Yeovil Pen Mill and Salisbury, via Castle Cary and Warminster

  • Customers with tickets from/to stations between Crewkerne and Exeter St Davids can use their ticket on GWR’s route to Paddington, via Newbury

  • SWR promotional fares on services between Yeovil Pen Mill and Weymouth, will be accepted on Saturday 31 August, only.

More travel updates for the West Country here.