CrossCountry strike trims UK services on October 18
CrossCountry will operate a very limited timetable on Saturday, October 18, due to RMT industrial action. Many routes will not run, and those that do will start later and finish earlier than normal. Trains that operate are expected to be busy, with early curtailment on long-distance flows. Travelers should plan around narrow first-train and last-train windows, build in extra time at Birmingham New Street and York for interchanges, and review fee-free refund or change options if a journey is no longer viable.
Key points
- Why it matters: A nationwide CrossCountry strike day sharply reduces long-distance connectivity.
- Travel impact: Late starts, early finishes, and gaps of several hours between trains.
- What's next: Another RMT action is filed for Saturday, November 1, pending updates.
- Interchanges at Birmingham New Street and York will be crowded with queuing and gating.
- Other operators are running but expect knock-on crowding on Avanti, LNER, EMR, and TfW.
Snapshot
CrossCountry plans a skeleton network with selected North-South services only. A published strike timetable shows earliest northbound departures from Birmingham New Street around 630 a.m., with last northbound departures toward Manchester by early afternoon, and a final northbound extension reaching Edinburgh early evening. Southbound, first departures from Manchester toward Birmingham begin just after 500 a.m., with the last wave of arrivals into Birmingham shortly after 4:00 p.m. Services toward Reading and the South Coast operate in short bursts late morning to mid-afternoon, then wind down. No trains run on multiple secondary corridors, including routes to Stansted Airport, Cardiff, and the far South West. Expect some altered calling patterns and additional engineering constraints.
Background
The October 18 action is called by the RMT, targeting customer service roles that enable station turnrounds and dispatch, which is why trains start later and end earlier than usual. CrossCountry has warned of significant disruption, limited frequencies, and suspended routes on parts of its national network. National Rail has logged the incident and advises passengers to check journey planners frequently. CrossCountry's industrial-action hub confirms that other operators are not striking on the day, however their trains may be busier where they parallel CrossCountry flows. CrossCountry also points to planned engineering around the Southampton, Bournemouth corridor that further constrains options on the South Coast.
Latest developments
First and last trains, plus interchange tips at Birmingham and York
On the strike timetable, Birmingham New Street, northbound shows first departures around 06:30, then sporadic trains through the late morning and early afternoon, with a last practical departure toward Manchester by about 14:01, reaching Manchester Piccadilly about 15:29. Limited northbound extensions continue via Derby, Sheffield, York, and Newcastle, with an Edinburgh Waverley arrival around 18:06. Southbound into Birmingham, first arrivals from Manchester begin ~06:56 off an 05:11 departure, with the last arrivals into Birmingham around 16:08. Birmingham to Reading and the South Coast departs as early as 06:03, with a final Reading-bound departure near 12:42; selective services continue via Oxford, with south-of-Reading trips into the mid-afternoon.
At York, northbound arrivals from the Midlands land around 1024 and 1332; southbound times through York toward Birmingham show ~0951, 1205, and 14:02. For both Birmingham New Street and York, allow 30-45 minutes for interchange on strike day, expect queueing for platform access and controlled boarding, and use concourse boards rather than habit, since calling patterns differ. When time-critical, consider LNER north of York and Avanti West Coast or London Northwestern Railway on West Coast flows, with EMR and Transport for Wales covering East Midlands and Marches alternatives, respectively.
Refunds, changes, and Delay Repay on strike day
If your CrossCountry train is cancelled, rescheduled, or significantly disrupted, you are entitled to a fee-free refund from the original retailer. If you bought direct from CrossCountry, you can amend or refund in your online account or the app. Delay Repay remains available for CrossCountry journeys delayed 30 minutes or more to the ticketed destination. CrossCountry's industrial-action page also reiterates that other operators' services are scheduled to run, but capacity will be tight, and planners may update close to the day. Always check again before you set out.
Where no CrossCountry trains will run
The published strike timetable indicates no service on several secondary corridors, including Birmingham to Leicester, Cambridge, and Stansted Airport, Gloucester to Cardiff, Nottingham to Derby, Bristol to Plymouth, Paignton, and Penzance, Edinburgh to Glasgow and Aberdeen, and Southampton to Bournemouth. Some of these gaps interact with pre-planned engineering, further limiting through travel or creating bus links on adjacent networks. If your journey relies on any of these legs, replan via other operators or postpone travel.
Analysis
This strike lands squarely on CrossCountry's unique cross-Britain lattice, where relatively low frequencies and long distances already amplify small timetable cuts. The skeleton service keeps one or two trunk patterns alive, threading Birmingham to Manchester and the North East, plus Reading to the Midlands, but the cadence is coarse, gaps are multi-hour, and last trains are early. The closures on secondary spurs, combined with South Coast engineering, shrink rerouting choices and put pressure on interchange hubs. That means Birmingham New Street and York will act as pinch points, with boarding controls and crowd management likely even outside typical peaks. While other operators are not part of this action, capacity on Avanti, LNER, EMR, and TfW will tighten, particularly where their routes are the only practical substitutes. For time-critical trips, the safest strategy is to travel earlier than planned, accept longer waits between legs, and protect critical connections with at least one train's margin. Otherwise, fee-free refunds and rebooking are the sensible play.
Final thoughts
If your trip depends on CrossCountry on October 18, anchor your plan around the first-train and last-train windows above, and build generous buffers at Birmingham and York. Where possible, book onto other operators and travel earlier to reduce risk. If that is not workable, use the fee-free refund route and rebook for a non-strike day. With late starts, early finishes, and sparse frequencies, the lowest-stress option may be to postpone discretionary travel until after the CrossCountry strike.