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Original poster

Train strike question!!!

17 replies

doasisay · 31/03/2010 12:01

Ive just overheard someone talking about a rail strike next week and although this wouldnt normally affect me it will on this occasion.

Ineed to get to my sisters which is in rotherham im in manchester. was planning on getting train me and my 2 DC'S to spend the week with her whilst school holidays as i dont get to see her much! but looks like my plans may have to be re thought!

is this strike definatly going ahead? are all trains affected? when i try and book tickets for the train it just says (may be affected by industrial action) but will still let me book if i wanted to???

If the train is cancelled is there a coach i can get from manchester city centre to rotherham??

advise needed i really dont want to tell my DC's we cant go to see there auntie!

OP posts:

BadgersPaws · 31/03/2010 12:15

At present the strike is going ahead, although Network Rail are going to court today to try and get it declared illegal.

You can get some information on what services are expected to be able to run here:
www.nationalrail.co.uk/service_disruptions/2010/dispute.html

You should also check the web site of your local train company.

My train company aren't laying on rail replacement coaches, yours might or you might be reliant on what ever other forms of buses/coaches are normally running in your area.

Bramshott · 31/03/2010 12:16

They say that if it goes ahead (looking more likely by the day) then 80% of trains will be affected.

I can't understand why there is so little in the press about this, as it's going to mess up so many people's Easter holiday plans.

If I were you, I'd go to the national express website and start researching coaches.

TheCrackFox · 31/03/2010 12:21

What days are the trains going on strike? Does anybody know?

nobiggy · 31/03/2010 12:26

Starts on the 6th, not sure how many days.

TheCrackFox · 31/03/2010 12:27

Balls - I was meant to be travelling on the 10th. I hope it has stopped by then.

Original poster

doasisay · 31/03/2010 12:28

apparently on the 6th/7th/8th and 9th!
I agree why is the news not covering this!

Im searching for a coach but its gonna take 3 hours and i have to change coach in leeds!!

My DC's on a coach for 3 hours

I cant believe this is happening on the one week i need the train.

OP posts:

Tortoise · 31/03/2010 12:30

Strike is meant to be 6th - 9th April. From what i heard on the news they are running a reduced timetable between 7am and 7pm.
Luckily we are travelling on the 3rd, returning on the 10th. Just days out inbetween which might be affected.

longfingernails · 31/03/2010 13:07

There is an emergency High Court case; National Rail are saying that the RMT strike ballot was not valid.

www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/article7082073.ece

Original poster

doasisay · 01/04/2010 11:55

Has a decision been made yet does anyone no??

OP posts:

madeindevon2 · 01/04/2010 13:54

no decisions yet, sometimes these things go on til the 11th hour....

venusonarockbun · 01/04/2010 14:05

I thought that if they did strike it was only after 6pm so as long as your journey finished before then you were ok.

BadgersPaws · 01/04/2010 14:33

The strike is between 6am and 10am and then 6pm and 10pm.

Outside of those hours things will still be very bad. Things can't just stop at the start times so the service would have to run down before each start time. And then after each end it will take time for the service to recover as trains will be in the wrong place.

So although the strike isn't all day it will basically take effect all day and prevent the running of a normal service.

HellBent · 01/04/2010 14:36

Even if there is no train they will run a replacement bus service. This will take longer than the train but it follows the same route.

I had to do this at Trinity's meet up and it took hours longer than advertised. I got there for £3 instead of £26 though! (you are supposed to pay but no-one asked me!)

BadgersPaws · 01/04/2010 14:54

I don't think that the running of replacement bus services during a strike is common. They're done during outages in service due to engineering but not for strikes.

My train company certainly isn't running replacement buses on the parts of the network that won't have any trains.

You certainly shouldn't presume it but do check with your local train company as you might be lucky.

Tortoise · 01/04/2010 21:27

Just read in the news that the strikes are off. I am relieved.

WebDude · 01/04/2010 22:16

HellBent - as BP says, it's hardly likely there would be replacement buses or coaches to cover for even the long distance routes. I've been on plenty of buses in my time, but they are usually only arranged for track work, or emergency closures.

If even 25% of the country was affected I don't think there'd be enough spare coaches to cover for them, and a coach usually holds what, 70 people? Each train coach can hold 50+ I think (7 or 8 years since I last went down to London, so am a bit out of touch).

Heck, seeing the times they had been planning for, it would have caused maximum disruption to everyone, not just commuters... OK, the odd shopping trip for 2-4 hours in a town 40-50 miles away would be OK, if one could be sure of the trains running on time each way...

blowinahoolie · 15/05/2015 12:52

There will be a strike on Monday. Network Rail hopefully will come to some kind of agreement with RMT for their union members before then to stop all the chaos....

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