Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether she has had recent discussions with (a) RMT and (b) Cross Country Trains to seek a resolution to avoid strike action and no service on the (i) Birmingham, (ii) Leicester, (iii) Cambridge and (iv) Stansted Airport line through Hinckley station on (A) Saturday 18 October and (B) Saturday 1 November 2025.

It is for CrossCountry, as the employer, to negotiate terms and conditions with their staff. Officials have been kept advised of the situation with the dispute.

On Thursday 16^th, sufficient progress had been made and RMT suspended strike action on Saturday 18th October, but unfortunately too late for many services to re-instated in a meaningful way. We understand CrossCountry talks continue with RMT on the remaining issues to resolve the dispute without further strikes.