West Midlands Railway services off due to strike

There are no services on any West Midlands Railway routes on Thursday 29 December, the company says

No West Midlands Railway services are running because of strike action by members of the TSSA union.

The walkout, which began on Wednesday, is due to last until midnight.

West Midlands Railway said there would be a normal level of service on most routes on Friday.

Great Western Railway has also been affected by the strike over pay and conditions, with talks between the union and operators not leading to an agreement.

TSSA organising director Nadine Rae said the union believed negotiations had been progressing - but, after nearly four weeks of discussions, the outcome of them was "completely different from what we were talking about".

She said the situation suggested the government "had interfered with the negotiation process".

A spokesperson for the Department for Transport said the transport secretary and rail minister had "worked hard to facilitate a fair and reasonable offer, and it is incredibly disappointing that some continue to strike".

They added: "We urge them to step back, reconsider and get back round the table, so we can start 2023 by ending this damaging dispute."