New train strikes in March and April with Company List

Apart by <2%, and assurances about forced retirements/separations (what used to be known as layoffs or firings... the evolution of euphemisms is pretty astounding).

That's my 10 cents, which was 2 when I was born, but with compound interest and inflation, it's a full dime now. ;-)

Nigel, will the Heathrow Express be affected? We will need to get to Heathrow on March 17 for our flight home—-we already have our £5.50 tickets in hand.

Thank you for the update Nigel.

Sorry Lola dunno yet.

The last offer was not accepted.

We have a month until the first one. Let's watch it.

You're on the mid Friday. There will be stuff running to the airport. The Network Rail boys and girls will be back on the Friday, and either the Heathrow Express or Elizabeth Line has tended to run at least some on actual strike days. Is your flight really early in the day?

Thanks for these updates, my daughter has booked travel from London to Edinburgh for early May and so I'm watching your updates with interest.

I really appreciate these updates Nigel! I am in England during April and May, and your information is very helpful.

Nigel....have any of the train companies settled or is everything still up in the air? I thought Scotrail had settled with their workers. But if Network Rail goes out, it doesn't really matter.

Naturally, I’m arriving at Heathrow T2 on March 16 and departing on March 18 from Heathrow T5.

Naturally, I’m arriving at Heathrow T2 on March 16 and departing on March 18 from Heathrow T5.

The strikes should not affect the Piccadilly line out of Heathrow. There are no planned closures either for that weekend.

Thanks Frank II, that is good to know.

I keep thinking this will be over before our trip in late September, but sometimes I wonder...

I'm wondering if unions will start eyeing all the attention that will be paid to Chucky's coronation and think, wait a minute ...

Thank you, Nigel. This is so helpful. So… if one were to be trying to get from London EUS to Liverpool Lime Street on Saturday 18 March to attend a match at Anfield beginning at 15:00, what would you recommend?

far be it for me to get involved in Liverpool football but if that's what you want to do, I have just a few suggestions -

find the strike page on Avanti West Coast and follow it

find the strike page for London Northwestern and follow it

Check on both National Express and Megabus for coach service

Consider going a day early and spending two nights in Liverpool or nearby because even if some trains run on game day they will finish early and you won't want to be stranded

Hire (rent) a car.

Pray for a settlement

Andrea,

The first bus on National Express, Megabus and Flixbus doesn't get into Liverpool until 2.45pm, 3.20pm or 2.50pm respectively, and NatEx have already doubled (nearly trebled) their prices.
You could go up on any of the Coach companies on the Friday overnight service then look around Albert Dock (opposite the Liverpool One Coach station) or do a Mersey ferries cruise pre match. Albert Dock has lots of places for your breakfast.

now that the companies involved are clear,

Andrea London Northwestern have announced that a very limited schedule will operate and nothing north of Crewe. You won't be able to use them for your football in Liverpool unless you go before or after the strike days.

Andrea Avanti West Coast have announced that they have suspended sale of all tickets on the strike days. If you bought yours before the strike was announced some few trains will run - although not on all lines and a very late start and a very early finish on strike days. You shouldn't count on them getting you to Liverpool for your football unless you go before or after the strike days.

For others:

Scotrail and Heathrow Express and London Underground and Elizabeth Line are not on that list. They could have knock on affects from the Network Rail strikes but not the train companies.

So very kind of you to keep us informed, thank you.

We are in London (mostly staying in the city) and France in April so keeping an eye on both strike update threads.

Thanks so much Nigel. We will be in England in May so I will be looking for your posts.

Thanks so much, Nigel. I had been wondering if there would be any strikes during my visit! I leave from Heathrow on 15 March, so (selfishly), phew! :-)

@ Laura- on 15 March both the RMT and ASLEF are striking on the Tube. Currently all tube lines are expected to be closed. So you will need to get an Elizabeth Line or HEX train to Heathrow, as they are not affected.
TfL will confirm the total closure in due course, but at best a heavily disrupted service.
Or take National Express or taxi, or national rail Chiltern or South Western to an interchange station (like Hampton Court) then bus. In that case the 111 or X26.

Thank you for the updates!

We have tickets for Heathrow Express into London on March 31st and on the Eurostar to Paris on April 4th - from your list it looks like hopefully they won't be affected.

We're going to 3 countries this trip and so far every one of them is having strikes.

Thanks for the heads up Nigel ... only 2 trains for me during my 2 weeks there, London Northwest Railway on 4/15 to Bletchley and Greater Anglia from Liverpool St Station to Harwich on 4/17 ... so I guess I'll be checking those sites often and figuring out options just in case.

Liverpool St Station to Harwich on 4/17

I'll wave at you from the boat going the other way.... day or night?

Night boat to Hoek ... forgive me if I don't wave back, might be busy catching some zzzzz ... never been on the boat, hope the seas aren't bad, my wife is already starting to freak out a little.

we'll be sleeping too - it is a very stable ship

@isn31c – thank you so much for this information. Starting this past summer (bus strike) we have switched from staying at a hotel that was a short, free bus ride into Heathrow to staying at a hotel INSIDE the airport from which we can just walk to our terminal. I can't believe that a few years ago we would take the Piccadilly line from central London to LHR the morning of our flight – now it just seems too risky! Once we had to schlep (w/our luggage – luckily we travel light!) from the Holborn to the Covent Garden Tube station b/c they weren't letting anyone into the Holborn station right when we needed to go to the airport (!!).

So, I'm thinking I should be all right, if I get to the airport hotel on the evening of the 14th. Fingers crossed! I will be watching this thread ...

there is now a new thread about the Tube strikes on the 15th

https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/england/london-underground-tube-strike-all-lines-15th-of-march

@Nigel, thank you so much for the update. As double bad luck would have it, the Liverpool match was postponed. So the plan is to drive up to Liverpool anyway and enjoy the city. I really appreciate the updates and recommendations!

Hi Nigel

Are transportation strikes just part of the way of life in London, England and the rest of Europe?

When I was in Europe in 2019, there were ground strikes at the airport in London as well as Copenhagen. I was not affected but a friend was.

Now, you keep us updated about upcoming transportation strikes in London and England. I have searched other cities on the continent in this forum and there is often someone on those pages cautioning about upcoming transportation strikes in their cities.

In RS London, he mentions allowing for strikes when getting to and from.

no, strikes are fairly unusual these days in the UK - just the last couple of years since things have become really bad here and many people don't want to be left behind. Many many strikes in the UK at the moment across everything from doctors and nurses to transportation, even Amazon.

so I guess that workers are striking for better pay, improved working conditions and better benefits?????

@ Andrea- The final irony is that London North Western have now announced their strike timetable for Saturday 18th and you would actually have managed to get to the match in Liverpool (via Birmingham), if possibly not back.

Nigel,
What is the status of transportation strikes in April? I will be traveling to Heathrow arriving April 18 and flying from Heathrow on May 9.

I will be taking the train from Paddington on April 19 to Highclere Castle.

Train from Paddington (I think) to Canterbury on April 22.

Train from Bath to Heathrow on May 8 (day before flight home).

Will these train routes and dates be affected? Please correct me if I am using the wrong terminology.

Thanks!

April 1st iis the last date announced.

There may be more in the future. They must give 14 days notice so April and May are quite a way off for announcements.

just by the way, Kent and therefore Canterbury are not served from Paddington. It is either Victoria for the old fashioned slow train to Canterbury West or the fast High Speed Javelin service from St Pancras International to Canterbury East.

Thanks, Nigel!

@isn31c thank you so much! I just booked tickets to Liverpool via Birmingham because of your post. I am so appreciative of all the expert tips provided in this forum.