Rail Travel disruptions

As June 3 is an ASLEF strike day we already know that no train service will be operated by either Transpennine or Avanti.
Avanti already state that on their website, and we know from past strike days that Transpennine don't run that far north. The bus services were covering for engineering work. As they have no trains to connect into at Carlisle they will not be operating.
Penrith will have no train service on ASLEF strike days, but does on RMT strike days.
You have two options-
National Express depart Edinburgh at 0955, arrive at Penrith Railway Station at 1350
Currently the fare is £16.

Or, as Scotrail are not affected.
Train Edinburgh to Glasgow (most trains run to Glasgow Queen Street, it is a 10 minute walk from Queen Street to Central, but two trains an hour run from Edinburgh to Glasgow Central), then a Scotrail train from Glasgow Central to Carlisle on the Dumfries route.

I assume you were only going to Penrith to catch a bus to Keswick. If so you then catch a #554 bus from Carlisle to Keswick at 1200 or 1600. The journey time overall is longer than the Coach, and it is a convoluted route, so just take the Coach.

Any bus fare in Cumbria is currently just £2, under the Government scheme.

if your destination was actually Penrith you would catch the hourly #104 bus from opposite Carlisle station to Penrith.

I live here, so know what my options are, especially after so many strikes.

If you were into taking long public bus (not coach) routes, the most scenic way is to go through the Scottish Borders-
Scotrail train (bound for Tweedbank) to Galashiels, cross the road to the Bus Station, then the # X95 bus to Carlisle (the first one of the day of these buses starts from Edinburgh) .

Thank you! I was hoping a local would reply! We have a car rental waiting in Carlisle. We have to get there no later than 11:30 before they close for the weekend. The national rail site shows Buses run by transpennie leaving in time to reach the car rental in time, but I think it might be doubtful they'll be running. Ill look into the national line to see what they might have. Any more suggestions would be highly appreciated!Thank you very much.

If you look at National Rail for next Friday- the first ASLEF strike that confirms that no service at all will be offered. About a week beforehand that will be amended for 3 June.
In your earlier post you mentioned about train to Penrith so I am unsure if the car is being collected from Carlisle or Penrith.
Barring a miracle, like the dispute being settled, the bus services will not run. TPE have simply not adjusted their timetable yet.
Hopefully you can cancel the Edinburgh hotel that night.
At this stage I think that sensibly you have two options-
1. On the Saturday take the 0640 train to Galashiels, then the 0800 #X95 bus to Carlisle arriving at 1005. If car collection is at Penrith you would need the 1037 #104 bus to Penrith BUT that would not get you to Penrith until 1136.
2. So if I were you, and I am not, I would travel down to Carlisle or Penrith the previous evening, say 5 or 6pm, and stay there.
I can't find much availability in Penrith, so would suggest Carlisle- where I can see the Ibis, the Station Hotel, the County Hotel and the Crown and Mitre (the City's premier central hotel) for between £70 and £100 Room only, or the Crown and Mitre for £112 including breakfast, the Station is £116 inc bf, the Ibis (a short walk down Botchergate) is best value at £70 RO- and Ibis breakfasts are good, as an add on. Or Wetherspoons pub is opposite for breakfast from 0800, but Ibis have a better breakfast IMHO.
Then catch the #104 to Penrith from outside the Ibis at just after 0850 or 0940 to Penrith, if that is where the car is waiting.
Botchergate is very lively with the night time economy on a Friday night, so you may prefer the extra cost of the Crown and Mitre, in the City centre, away from the night life.
On any other night you would find far cheaper prices in Carlisle. I have just looked at my favourite guest house in the City (the Cartref) but they are full.

Hello, Thank you so very much for the detailed information! So I changed my car reservation for Carlisle not Penrith. The national express bus has a 6:40 departure to Carlisle on the 3rd. Do you know if they are run by the ASLEF union also? If not then I wouldn't have to change my hotel, etc. If so I will have to look into leaving the night before as you suggest.

That's brilliant. That's a brand new service, it's showing as 0625 to me from EDI, a direct bus to Liverpool, that's interesting, a new connection south for me from Carlisle to Manchester, Birmingham and London (for the future), let alone you.
That didn't exist as recently as last week.
Nat Ex are non unionised. The coach is provided to Nat Ex by a local Scottish independent Company whose name escapes me at this moment, but they run all of Nat Ex's regional services from Scotland.
So you are on safe ground there.
Register for a free account with Nat Ex and you avoid the booking fee.
A really neat solution, great to have a good outcome.
No significant extra expense for you, or change of plans.

I just read that the national express bus drivers reached a new deal on April 4th. So Im assuming they will be running on june 3. Im not sure what service goes to Galashiels. The 6:40 bus on National express goes all the way to glasgow then Carlisle!

Im glad I could contribute in some way! You live in a beautiful area. Thanks for all your help! I owe you a pint or two!

Sorry to be pedantic, but it's TranspenniNe. Named after the Pennines, a spine of hills that run north to south in Northern England. Hope your plans work out.

The National Express strike mentioned was at their Citybus division in the West Midlands and only lasted a week, from 20 to 26 March.

That has no relationship with National Express long distance coaches, except that it is the same parent company.

Got It! Thank you