RMT strikes threaten to delay the £7bn East West Rail launch AGAIN as workers walk out over door safety row

From the Newshound archive · first published 29 September 2026 · last updated 1 October 2026.

RMT members at Chiltern Railways have voted overwhelmingly to strike on 10 and 17 October over plans to let drivers control carriage doors on the new East West Rail route, threatening yet another delay to the £7bn Oxford-to-Cambridge line. The route between Oxford and Milton Keynes has sat ready since late 2024, used only for testing and freight, after already missing its opening date by over a year. General secretary Eddie Dempsey warned driver-only operation poses a 'significant risk to safety and the current train manager roles'. Chiltern says every service will carry two staff — a driver plus a customer assistant — but the RMT says that falls short of a safety-critical second person guarantee.

The track through Winslow has been fully built and ready since late 2024 but Chiltern Railways has still not set an opening date.

Chiltern interim managing director Tony Baxter said the firm was 'disappointed' but expects to run the 'vast majority' of services on strike days.

The full Oxford-to-Cambridge route, reconnecting the two university cities by rail for the first time in decades, is not expected to be complete until the mid-to-late 2030s.