Yet another nationwide Train strike noon 26 to noon 27 September **CANCELLED**

Nigel.....your opinion......I'm on Scotrail the 25th of September. Any chance this will expand to other lines or should I be safe?

the 25th is before. Scotrail is not listed. Scotrail reached a settlement. Network Rail won't jump the gun.

keep watching... 4 weeks is a long time, but you know it is really 2 weeks because of the law that they must give 14 days notice.

Thanks. I didn't know Scotrail reached a settlement. But its still Network Rail that needs to be watched.

I was just wondering if you had heard any inside information of them sliding the dates.

I guess I have to wait until the 11th to know for sure.

Nigel, we have booked tickets with GWR for 10:00 am 26 September. Bath to Oxford. In your opinion, what should we do --- are we ok to stick with this plan?

Thank you so much,
Suzanne

theoretically your train should run because it is before the start of the strike.

Realistically, I wouldn't count on it. Many trains and cres won't come out of their depots so as not to be marooned when the strike starts.

But, also realistically, there are often some trains during TSSA strikes, as many as 20%. But Network Rail, also striking, shut things down.

Are you planning on a long trip on GWR, say to Exeter and Penzance or a short one like Reading or Windsor? Often some trains get through on the main line whereas branches have nothing.

If I were in your shoes I'd go the day before. But as I said, it all depends.

Find the GWR webpage, https://www.gwr.com/ and get an account. At this point they aren't mentioning either this strike or the just announced Drivers strike on the 15th, but they will, and they will publish advice. If you have an account you can get emails and texts with updates.

One of the disadvantages of this Forum software is you can't see the post you are replying to, just the OP, when writing an answer.

So Bath to Oxford. Not exactly a main line train. The 10:13 (yours?) is main line to Paddington as far as Didcot with a change to the Cotswold Line for the short hop to Oxford.

If the first train runs, the 11:04 from Didcot may very well not. Luckily it is not a very long taxi ride from Didcot to Oxford, less than half an hour for the 15 miles. Not a great choice but a choice.

Marco, an Oxford local, may chip in with his local knowledge of how TSSA strikes have affected Oxford to Didcot.

The alternative, a short hop from Bath to Bristol and Cross Country trains to Oxford is a non-starter because Cross Country are also involved.

In a response in the thread about the September 15th Drivers strike, Marco did contribute a post speaking about Dicot - Oxford.

It reads:-

From past experience on ASLEF strike days the service from Oxford is
very limited - just a hourly local shuttle service to and from Reading
stopping at most intermediate stations. Although you could change at
Didcot for the limited fast service to London, switching the days
would seem to be the best to avoid hassle and extra long journeys.

Now that's for ASLEF (Driver) strikes... I would have thought it might somewhat apply in this case - but I hope he chips in...

Nigel-Is Heathrow Express affected by this? I have tickets for 9/26. Also, if we are trying to get from London to Bath on 9/26 what do you suggest? Take a bus? If so do you know the line?

thanks!

Neither Heathrow Express nor Elizabeth Line is on the list, above.

National Express is the national coach company. You wouldn't have to go into London.

I don't see Transport for Wales/Heart of Wales line listed, so I'm assuming I'll be okay from Llanelli to Shrewsbury on September 27?

So Elizabeth Line is the train service from Heathrow to Bath Spa?

Bath to London services tend to run at half frequency during the strikes and Didcot to Oxford hourly on past experiences There are frequent bus services from Didcot Parkway Interchange to Oxford right outside the station as well.

Nigel, thank you for this visibility. My niece is scheduled on GWR during the strike window and is appreciative of your advance notice to line up a backup plan on National Express from London to Bath.

So Elizabeth Line is the train service from Heathrow to Bath Spa?

No. It is the newly opened Reading and Heathrow to central London Cross Rail which continues past the city to the east.

Thanks very much. Sorry to appear dense but I can't find out which service goes from London to Bath. Are you saying it is NOT on the list and won't be affected by the strike?

Great Western Railway (GWR) is the only train service directly to Bath from London (Paddington). They are on the list.

Shoot. Thanks. I guess its the bus for us!

GWR have kept some sort of Bristol-Bath-London service going throughout all the different strikes to date but no more than hourly, with a late start and early finish. Although GWR itself discourages people from relying on it.

In reply to Nigel for the RMT/TSSA strikes up to now there has been an hourly "fast" service between Oxford & Paddington with intermediate stops at Didcot, Reading, Slough. This is half the normal frequency.

OK thank you so much for the information and support.

Here is the situation: We have tickets booked on GWR for 26 Sept departs Bath Spa at 09:13 travel by Train Great Western Railway to station Didcot Parkway arrives 10:00 departs Didcot Parkway at 10:06 travel by Train Great Western Railway to station Oxford arrives 10:25.

Hypothetically this train could run, but this seems risky; as I understand the posts here, the odds of the train not in fact running are decent.

So alternatives: OK, we'll go Sunday instead. Nope! No trains going to Oxford on weekends, due to planned maintenance, per GWR webiste. Bus is 4 1/2 hours, which is long enough to make us consider changing plans altogether.
Appreciate any suggestions.

Also, if GWR does not cancel the 26 Sept tickets, are we still able to ask for a refund?

Thanks again,
Suzanne

I'm sorry it is difficult. Go to the GWR webpage and subscribe for their updates. At the moment their site mentions nothing about September strikes but it will.

As crazy as it seems Uber might be an option. Right now its 148 pounds for the two of us Heathrow to Bath and its 110 pounds for the train and, since we can't buy train tickets until the day of due to the uncertainty of our flight arrival, I am sure the train will be more.

Of course, surge pricing could bump up the Uber fare. Is there much of a chance that the railways will reach a settlement by 9/26?

I know this far out it's theoretical -

Have tickets with LNER 9/25/2022 - depart 1400 for Edinburgh. Based on current info should be ok?

Thank you for all this information!! It is much appreciated!

Is there much of a chance that the railways will reach a settlement by 9/26?

probably not. But maybe.

We will, for better or worse, have a new resident at number 10 next week. Time will tell if they have a clue how to govern. Maybe Grant Shapps (the cork in the bottle) will be out as Transport Minister and chief trumpeter for and moulder in his own image for Great British Railways. Maybe not. We'll see. These are not normal times... nor particularly pleasant for anybody living here.

depart 1400 for Edinburgh. Based on current info should be ok

dunno. I hope so. Subscribe to the operator LNER webpage and notifications.

We need to travel from London to Canterbury on Thurs. 9/15. to catch RS tour. I see Canterbury is served by Southeastern which is on the striking list. Now thinking about getting bus tickets but are bus drivers/operators in the same union and also striking? Thanks in advance.

This is the thread for the later strike.

No, buses are not on strike this time around.

The 15th strike is a combined ASLEF (Drivers) and RMT (most everybody else) strike. Highly unlikely that trains will operate on the affected companies, including Southeastern to Canterbury.

Can you go a day early?

To Jon: You could take the National Express bus (coach) from Heathrow to Bath.

I agree. Its as I said a last resort if the busses are full when we get there (can't buy a ticket ahead of time due to uncertainty of when our flight gets in). Thanks for the info

Rebecca-Unless I am missing something, very few busses are express for this route on the day we are going(9/26). Most are almost 4 hours vs. 1.5 hours to drive. I hope we can make the one time that is an express but since we can't commit we will have to do what works best the day of.

Nigel, my ticket from Waterloo station to Alton in Hampshire is on the 27th, but on SouthWestern, not Southeastern. So, I should be OK right. Are they not striking because they are owned by that German Company I asked you about?

Jon, I don't know where you are looking but most buses from Heathrow to Bath will take about 2:15 -2:30 depending on were you get on. They are direct. No changes.

Are you looking at the National Express site?

Jon, I don't know where you are looking but most buses from Heathrow to Bath will take about 2:15 -2:30 depending on were you get on. They are direct. No changes.

agreed.

On the 26th, at the moment, the 07:50, the 10:50, the 13:25 from Heathrow 2/3 to Bath are all available, each takes 2:15 to 2:20, each is at £15 to £18 per passenger.

If there is a strike do you really think that uber won't soak the public with surge pricing? They are notorious for it.

if the busses are full when we get there (can't buy a ticket ahead of time due to uncertainty of when our flight gets in)

it is about £5 more for a flex ticket

my ticket from Waterloo station to Alton in Hampshire is on the 27th, but on SouthWestern, not Southeastern. So, I should be OK right. Are they not striking because they are owned by that German Company I asked you about?

Yes, South Western Railway are not striking on that day, at the moment.

First MTR South Western Trains Limited, trading as South Western Railway (SWR), is a British train operating company owned by FirstGroup (70%) and MTR Corporation (30%) that operates the South Western franchise.

FirstGroup is a Scottish bus and train company. MTR is a Chinese (Hong Kong) company which operates MTR - Mass Transit Railway in Hong Kong.

Not German.

Why are they not striking? Don't know other than that TSSA are not In Dispute with them. At the moment I don't have time to dig further into why they are not striking that day. Sorry.

The earliest bus we could catch is probably after 3pm. The expresses you reference are all earlier. And yes I am looking on the National Express site

Jon....there is a 4:40 pm (2h:20m), a 6:55 pm (2h:10m), and a 9:45 pm (2h:5m).

https://www.nationalexpress.com/en

If that isn't good for you, you could always book a car service. They will meet you as you come out of the customs hall and drop you at your hotel in Bath. They will monitor your flight.

We ended up booking a car. Too much uncertainty plus we saved money in other areas and decided to splurge. Thanks for all of the advice

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

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.

.

.

Thank you for this update.

She will be missed around the world.

Thank you for letting us know Nigel. As an earlier poster noted, we owe you a pint.

Confirming that all trains across England will be operating as usual for the rest of September?

thank you,
Suzanne