Chiltern Railways: RMT strikes on Saturdays 10 and 17 October 2026 over driver-only operation

RMT members at Chiltern Railways will strike for 24 hours on Saturday 10 and Saturday 17 October 2026, after a ballot that closed on 29 September. The dispute is about driver-only operation on the East West Rail services Chiltern is due to run between Oxford and Milton Keynes: the union says the company refuses to guarantee the safety-critical role of the second person on board, and RMT general secretary Eddie Dempsey said the union "will not accept the watering down of safety on the rail network".

What to expect: Chiltern has not yet published its strike timetables. On previous RMT strike days the operator ran a reduced service between London Marylebone, High Wycombe, Banbury, Birmingham, Oxford and Aylesbury, with early last trains; check Chiltern's website a few days before. RMT says it remains available for talks.