Trains between Northampton and Euston expected to be 'very badly delayed' on Saturday

Strike action from railway staff each Saturday until December 28, are expected to impact services as well as those heading to sports matches or Christmas shopping.

There is a reduced West Midlands Railway service tomorrow, with trains between Northampton and Euston expected to be very badly affected, a spokesman said.

The disruption comes as West Midlands Railway has pledged to provide additional compensation to its customers following a drop in train performance since May.

A Network Rail spokesman said: “With strike action affecting West Midlands Railway and London Northwestern Railway services, passengers are being warned that other operators’ trains will be busier than usual.

“We therefore urge train customers to check before you travel at www.nationalrail.co.uk, plan your journeys in advance, and know your last trains home.

“Network Rail and train companies are working as one team to get people from A to B as safely and swiftly as possible.”

As with the last two last weekends, an amended timetable will be in operation and both train companies are asking passengers to carefully consider their journeys and to check on the day of travel.

Some parts of the network will have no trains, including stations between: Wolverhampton and Shrewsbury, Kidderminster and Hereford, Hereford and Bromsgrove, Whitlocks End and Stratford-upon-Avon, Stratford-upon-Avon and Dorridge, Dorridge and Leamington Spa, Walsall and Rugeley Trent Valley, Rugby and Crewe via Nuneaton and Rugeley Trent Valley, Crewe and Stafford via Stoke-on-Trent, Bletchley and Bedford, Watford Junction and St Albans Abbey

Passengers holding tickets for travel this Saturday can use them on Sunday (December 1) or Monday (December 2). If preferred, passengers can also claim a full refund.

So far £2.5m has been paid out in compensation since May to passengers affected by West Midlands and London Northwestern railways delays.

The timetable changes in May created capacity for 150,000 extra passengers but meant that any disruption to services was much harder to remedy and more passengers became delayed, a spokesman said.

The train company is discussing the best form of further compensation following its performance and the best way to give this to its customers, the spokesman added.

West Midlands Trains commercial director Andy Camp said: “Performance since May has not been as good as it should have been, and we apologise to all our customers.

"While we have started on a vigorous programme to improve performance, working with industry partners including Network Rail who run the signalling and tracks and the West Midlands Rail Executive, we are taking this extra step to compensate our passengers. This is on top of our £1bn investment programme.”

For more information about how train services are being affected and alternative transport options on Saturday, go to www.wmr.uk/industrialaction or www.lnr.uk/industrialaction

To plan and check journeys visit www.nationalrail.co.uk.