Train strikes

[Slowdayinfleetstreetisit]

Just seen train strikes have been announced and it falls over weekend I’m meant to visiting London with DC. Really thinking about cancelling but just checked and hardly anything I’ve booked is refundable. I’m staying with DS so I’m theory I could drive but she’s also said most of the transport near her will be effected too as she’s in South London (no tube where she is).

Grrrr.

So's my DD.
I've booked a coach in the meantime, presuming the already paid for train tickets are refunded if the strike goes ahead. Might be worth doing that (and soon)

We’ve had tickets to see The Cure for a year

I don’t blame the strikers, but fucking hell…

That's my annual Xmas drinks with work weekend. I live the opposite end of the country. My annual big night out is gone. I'm actually quite upset.

I now get to go on the Thursday for the boring meeting and come back same day and not get the nice bit. I'm gutted.

The stansted to london coach service isn't terrible, for those needing to escape from that airport.

I've travelled by National express a couple of weekends when there were train strikes. The journeys took a lot longer but were quite a bit cheaper than the train would have been. As the OP is going to London that might well be a workable option.

I wonder what the trains will be like on the days between.

There are strikes 3/4 Jan and again 6/7th and I am hoping trains to/from London (and Elizabeth line) will be OK again on the 5th.

I wonder what the trains will be like on the days between.

Awful. They cannot run a usual service, where I am the signal boxes don't even open until nearly lunchtime the day after strike. A lot of drivers also have to lodge so they won't be in place for early services as they won't lodge on a strike day.

I fully support the strikes but I have had to cancel a week to London in January as we have no alternative so am disappointed. Railway worker in the family is losing so much money over these strikes that they are going to struggle to keep their head above water. I just want it all to end now

Be prepared for disruption throughout as the overtime ban will have a massive effect on services.

Sorry just realised you specified the Elizabeth line for in between days.

oh no. I don't need the train til lunchtime on the 5th but I do need it then! I could book a coach ticket but I wonder if I should wait to see if the strikes end up being cancelled. I don't mind it taking a while on the 5th but I have to get back from an airport!

no I need both, elizabeth line to the mainline station and then the train

If Sunak got his house in order, listened to what they were saying and responded appropriately this wouldn't be happening. While he is busy instructing his cabinet to keep the workers poor and in their place so he and his mates can continue making themselves billions then I fully support the strikes. Sometimes someone has to make a stand.

This is Sunak.

Your ticket might say non refundable but you can go via delay repay and get your money back.

Just an FYI even though tubes aren't specifically effected by this one it still effects some of the lines which use rail tracks (if that makes sense) where my sister is she is on the Overground line but it still won't be running, also I think bits of the Elizabeth line so do check.

I've just booked my daughter's coach ticket in case, and gone for the refundable up to 24 hours earlier option- so, if the strike is averted, I get the NE money back, and if the strike goes ahead, I get the train fare back.

The stansted to london coach service isn't terrible, for those needing to escape from that airport.

The coaches are normally fine, but I've done this before when the trains were off and there were thousands of people trying to get onto an inadequate number of coaches (inevitably) and although we got there in the end, it took hours.

Buses are pretty good in south London OP - I live on an overground route but generally bus everywhere. Though bus drivers are also striking but hopefully on different days!

I just booked a return coach ticket just in case as well and will cancel if the strikes are called off. What I'm not sure about is whether I'll cancel if they aren't called off, but the previous strikes shows that the trains I need are OK by lunchtime the next day, which is the situation i'll be in on the 5th. It would be cheaper to use my return train ticket, not to mention faster, if things are running reasonably. I guess I can decide after I see what the first of the 48 hour strikes is like. Maybe there will be some progress between now and then, and some of them will be called off...

Elizabeth line is usually badly affected by the train strikes (but not affected by tube strikes).

(I live next to an Elizabeth line station in central London)

Basically strike dates will mean those weeks will be a write -off for train travel as the disruption starts the day before the strike and continues the day after. So people thinking they can avoid the problem by travelling the night before should really think again! (sorry!!)

Thank you! Looks like a taxi it is 😩

So I think we're going get a bus from Victoria coach station to DSis and then we can get a bus easily from DS to Greenwich and get a boat into town on the Saturday and hopefully on Sunday and beyond things not looking quite so terrible.

@Slowdayinfleetstreetisit That is the hand thing about living here, so many transport options! Hope you have a great weekend

It affects the Elizabeth Line I think. Does your sister live anywhere near the tram?

Basically strike dates will mean those weeks will be a write -off for train travel as the disruption starts the day before the strike and continues the day after. So people thinking they can avoid the problem by travelling the night before should really think again

Yes. My work Christmas party is the night before. I wasn't going anyway, but now I have a cast iron excuse if anyone asks (and not just I am anti-social).

Is it really that bad on the days around the strike? We are due to travel down to London on the Monday and back on the Thursday for a family break. I really will be sad to cancel it but equally don’t want to end up stranded if trains are cancelled

I'm concerned now about the 18th December. Just need transport for wales from Machynlleth to birmingham international. Booked easy jet to edinburgh cause I didn't trust the useless avanti west coast. However I'm taking train back again on 23rd, which hopefully will be OK, evening though busy.