Hold onto your seatbelts.....train strikes 15 + 17 Sep >CANCELLED< in Memory of the Late Queen

Nigel, is it over salary or work conditions. Maybe both?

Nigel -
Is the Gatwick Express expected to run on September 17th or will Gatwick Express service be cancelled due to the strike on that day?

Thank you!

Nigel, again thank you for keeping us informed. Can you please explain, can unions continue to announce more dates of strikes, all the way up until 14 days beforehand? I would have guessed that once they announced 26-27 Sept we were clear until those dates, but that is not the case.

thanks,
Suzanne

I was reading last night about how RMT members are signal operators and the like - so their strike means that even if the employees of a given rail company itself are not striking, the ability of that company to provide its services is hindered anyway -- as obviously they can't operate along lines that aren't being "maintained."

I know it's not for me to say, as I don't know anything about working conditions for any of these employees, but as a consumer / rail traveler, these continued strikes are the absolute pits.

Thanks Nigel for all you do to keep everyone informed on all of this.

Where the signalling has been modernised and concentrated into a few big control centres it can be operated by a few people sitting at computer terminals and these can be covered on a contingency basis by trained managers, at least for the main part of the day. Where it is more localised and labour intensive this cannot be reliably achieved for a whole route.

So for example signalling for the GWR main line for Paddington-Bristol can be covered 8am-6pm by a few people reliably, whereas the 'Berks and Hants' route to Taunton cannot.

Is the Gatwick Express expected to run on September 17th

No

Can you please explain, can unions continue to announce more dates of strikes, all the way up until 14 days beforehand?

they have overwhelming mandates (over 90 percent) to call as many strikes as needed. Each strike day called must give at least 14 days notice.

RMT members are signal operators and the like - so their strike means that even if the employees of a given rail company itself are not striking, the ability of that company to provide its services is hindered anyway

correct, and they do many other jobs, and see Marco's reply

is it over salary or work conditions. Maybe both?

both

To Dan McClelland who asked "Is the Gatwick Express expected to run on September 17th?"
Answered by Nigel.

Dan, you may want to take the bus that runs from Gatwick to London's Victoria Bus (Coach) Station.

Nigel, many thanks for all that you do here on the forum, and for keeping us all informed about the trains!

Thanks, Rebecca, it is getting to be a full time job.

Sorry for the time gap but I've been out of the house (horrors!!)

And I'd prefer to give long detailed answers to everyone individually but I really don't have enough hours in the day.

Everyone - please read, follow helpful links, and most importantly find the webpage of your train company and subscribe to its news and read its strike pages. I can't possibly do that for 20 companies all the time....

Well done, Nigel! Thanks for the helpful links you have been giving.

I am in the process of finding the webpage of the train company I will be using, and subscribing to its news.

Nigel, it's an incredible job you are doing (and service you are kindly offering), as usual.

Thinking of you and Carole and your friends and family looking ahead at this fall and winter of discontent.

Unfortunately, we arrive at Heathrow on Sept. 17 for our Rick Steves tour of Southern England that starts in Canterbury. Would bus lines to Canterbury be running that day? Any recommendations as to alternate ways of getting to Canterbury that day from Heathrow. Thanks for any advice.

coach lines are not on strike. National Express. You may well have to change at Victoria Coach Station, but I do trains, not coaches.

Yikes. My mom and I leave in two days for a trip to the UK and our flight home leaves on the 15th of September.

We will be in York the night before, so I booked a train trip on LNER booked back to London and then the Heathrow Express to Heathrow airport. Should we just skip going to York or is there a recommended alternative?

you might go the day before.

It would be rarely, in non-strike, non-covid days that I would suggest going on your departure day from York to Heathrow and flying out.

These days with strikes, especially when you now know that virtually no trains will move at all on the 15th, and with covid related staff shortages, I would find it very unwise to attempt such a thing. It is a 4 hour drive at the best of times. What time is your flight (check in is 3 hours + ahead)?

Our flight leaves at 3:15 pm

Nigel, you are my hero!

We have plans and reservations in and around London on several dates between 13/09 and 16/09, including Thameslink from Gatwick into London and travel to Cambridge and back. With this information, I can alter our plans to avoid travel on the 15th entirely (it means skipping Cambridge this trip). Hopefully we will not be too badly affected in our travel tp to the Lake District on the 16th. We have tickets all booked and reserved seats from London Euston to Oxenholme. We will just be prepared for delays.

Nigel, very kind of you and totally understandable if you don't have the time to get to everyone.

I'm going to the UK for the first time in September with my son. In typical fashion, we have train tickets from London to Edinburgh... on the 15th.

We are staying at an airbnb in London and they cannot accommodate us for an additional night, and of course, we've already paid for accommodations in Edinburgh.

I assume busses will still be running, but quite crowded? So at least we could get somewhere else to stay, if I can find a place in short order?

Does it make sense to book a flight? (I'm sorry, new to this and not sure what the typical way of adjusting would be by those in the know.) I'm thinking taxis will be in extreme demand and wondering if it's a pipe dream to make it from Rotherhithe to an airport that day?

It looks like we could still potentially get train tickets on the 16th, but I imagine things won't exactly be smooth sailing? (Not to mention that it's an additional 100.00 even if I can apply the cost of our current tickets.

I'm not sure if sitting tight is the cool-headed option, or the totally irrational one, haha!

@Sleight

We arrive in London on the 9/22 and we’re supposed to take train to Edinburgh on 9/25. My retired hubby was checking the train situation daily and was causing him ( and me too!) great anxiety. We booked a flight from London to Edinburgh on 9/25 and return flight on 10/5. Would LOVE to be on a train but for us, it was just easier to book the short flight for peace of mind.

Now we can enjoy planning the rest of our trip knowing everything isn’t contingent on a train strike.

Good luck and hope u enjoy your trip..
Suzette

Everyone will have seen the frequent advice to go to the strike page of the train company you are booked on and look at what they say. This morning LNER says that they will run some trains. Unsure if that will pan out.

Rotherhithe is not too far from London City Airport. Half an hour bus, Jubilee Line, DLR. Less by taxi. Are there flights from there to Scotland?

Nigel, wish we could buy you a pint ( or more with dinner) for your help understanding the train situation. And just my luck we arrive in Heathrow on Sept 15 for our initial four days in London before taking a train to Wool for an HF Holiday getaway at Lulworth Cove. Seems like this strike might even affect Heathrow Express to Paddington? So I’ve never used Uber but perhaps a private car hire might be a good plan for us. Thanks again.

When Heathrow Express were asked their reply was, "at this moment we haven't been given any information on this ... check the disruption page".

https://www.heathrowexpress.com/timetable/planned-service-disruption

Janems, you will love the HF Holidays time at Lulworth Cove. Nice people, nice place, great hiking, good food.

I hope you get your ride into London from Heathrow figured out. Seems like a booked car service might be prudent.

Thanks, Lola. This will be our fourth HF Holidays excursion and we only wish we had found them twenty years ago. And yes, thanks to Nigel's alert we have set up a car transport (I check a bag because of hiking poles and because we have about eight London days as well as country walks) since the tube is annoying on arrival day with luggage. I'll leave a bag at the London hotel and travel light for the walking days. We've been to London many times so now we're planning some garden visits and just found a fun dog show at Chiswick House our second weekend. And now I'm quite tempted to take a long but fun day trip to Bath for one of the Jane Austen festival events. I'm a dedicated Jane Austen fan (just named our new rescue dog Bingley a year ago) and why not cram in one more delightful experience on this much anticipated visit to my favorite country.

@Nigel

Thank you, Good to know about LCY not being too far from Rotherhithe... I didn't think of it! Looks like they do have flights, but maybe a bit too dear at about 4x the cost of a flight out of LHR, though it looks like easyjet has caught on and the tickets have gone from $33 to $86 in a single day!

I guess we will have to play it by ear. LNER told me that they won't make the call til Friday and won't assist with ticket replacement til next Monday.

@suzettedalton3
Probably a good choice. I have waited too long I think and we will have to stay another day in London. Somehow, I think we will find something to do! ;)

Nigel, thank you so much for all this information.

I will be taking the train at 6AM on Sept 26 to Gatwick airport. I believe it is the Great Western Railway. If this 24 hour strike takes place, and I have no doubt it will, perhaps everyone who has a flight at anytime that day, or is working at the airport will leave before noon. Could be very crowded if we can even get on. Would you recommend booking our last night in London at a hotel near Gatwick?

I’m flying there tomorrow. So excited!

taking the train at 6am to Gatwick from Where, please?

If it is GWR I guess it is most likely to be the Reading - Gatwick service. This does not run at all during any strikes from past experience.

That was my guess too, but OP unlikely to originate Reading.

Sorry Nigel…we’re staying at the MayFair hotel on Stratton Street.

Looks like Liz the new PM has her work cut out for herself.

Thank you for clarifying that you will going from the centre of London to Gatwick. That's not the Great Western Railway (GWR), it could be Southern from Victoria station or Gatwick Express from Victoria station or Thameslink from many different stations including St Pancras, Farringdon, City Thameslink, or Blackfriars, and others south of the river.

I don't know which of the three railways you have booked your ticket on, although since you are in Mayfair I'd guess Gatwick Express. But look where guessing got me and Marco earlier.

The strike starts at noon on the 26th. Have you gone to the website of whichever rail company it is and looked at what they say on their strike page? That's been my consistent advice.

What time is your flight? Is it your flight home? How nervous will you be at 5:30 in the morning going to the station? Would you be less nervous going to a hotel at Gatwick - there are several - the evening before?

Most of the workers at Gatwick live locally and will have to get home if they don't, so they are unlikely to pack out the 6am train.

Other passengers? I can't answer that.

Nigel, is it a good idea to book tickets in advance? I leave next week and have five train travel days in the next few weeks, none of which have been designated strike days yet:
16 September - Edinburgh to Whitby (I have booked this ticket through ScotRail and my ticket says Cross Country to Newcastle and Northern to Whitby)
20 September - Whitby to York
14 September - York to Garsdale
1 October - Gardsale to Windemere
7 October - Windemere to Edinburgh

Will train travel on the 16th be crazy? Should I book the other trips in advance or can I buy tickets the same day?

Thank you very much.

As I said earlier on a strike day what would normally be an inflexible tied to a specific train Advance can be used as a minimum the day before & after. Having flexibility on accommodation plus being close by your departure airport at least the day before might be good precautions.

Thanks for the update, Nigel. We (brother, SIL and I) have nothing booked. Would it be outrageously expensive to book an Uber or a cab? Our flight leaves Gatwick to Vancouver, Canada at 1115.

of course the diabolical uber will gouge with surge pricing. a black cab would be very expensive (how much? no clue, I don't use taxis). You could book a minicab. You haven't said which train company, Thameslink, Gatwick Express, Southern, your train ticket is on.

Susie, just book a private transfer. You will know the price when you book. Less than a taxi and who knows how much Uber will charge.

The other alternative is a coach from Victoria Coach Station to Gatwick. The journey is just over 2 hours and you'd have to get a very early bus. If you go this route, buy soon as some of the services for next week' strike dates are sold out.

My choice would be the car service.

I've put up a link in the OP to the National Rail overview of all the upcoming industrial action events (strikes). It is at https://www.nationalrail.co.uk/service_disruptions/304915.aspx

The rail strikes on 15 and 17 September have been called off by all unions following the death of The Queen.

all 4 strike days RMT/ASLEF/TSSA 15/17/26/27 September

All the RMT/TSSA/ASLEF strikes across the country this month have been cancelled in memory and respect of the late great Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. RIP.

Long Live the King.

.

.

That is the strikes on the 15th, 17th, and the two at the end of the month, 26th and 27th. No further strike dates have been announced.