Yet another Rail Strike - First Great Western UPDATE

There wasn't quite a complete halt across the whole FGW network last time - it was a patchwork of no service to a near normal service depending on the route. The RMT message that I've seen suggests the strike is Saturday and Monday with no overtime on the Sunday. The TSSA seems to have sorted out their issues with FGW.

Thank you for always giving us updates Nigel! I will be in London the last week of August so I am particularly interested in this one.

Thank you for always giving us updates Nigel! I will be in London the last week of August so I am particularly interested in this one.

Nigel - are you a rail employee trying to "talk up" the strike because you agree with it?

Anyway, around 60% of services did run on the Great Western during the last strike. You will be able to get more information from this site :>https://www.firstgreatwestern.co.uk/strike

The strike is all about who closes the doors on the new electric express trains that will replace the diesel Inter City 125's that have been around since the 70's. The rail union sees it as a possible way in which the company (First) can reduce the wages (in future) of on-board staff as they will not have the 'great responsibility' of closing the electric doors. First wish for the drivers to close the doors - they just have to press a button and they slide shut. The union also don't like the idea of a Buffet shop being replaced by a steward/stewardess going through the train and serving passengers at seat from a trolley - much as airlines do.

All staff have been guaranteed their jobs and on their current pay scale. I leave you to decide who is being unreasonable on this issue. (The train drivers in Britain are some of the best paid workers with many earning around £50,000 per year whilst the average wage is about half that. The average wage of teachers is about £35,000).

James.

Yes, I work for the railway.

My politics has nothing to do with it, or you.

You have no way to know if I am a cleaner or a Director of Operations on my bit of the railway, so you have no knowledge of which way I might lean.

I report on these potential strikes so that readers here can adjust their plans or at least not be caught unaware.

If you would like me to stop I will.

You can do it from now on.

BTW - if the issues were as simple as you paint them it would have been settled long ago. It isn't.

Over to you, James. You keep everybody informed from now on.

Nigel, thank you for taking the time to keep all of us visitors informed. I've followed your advice many times, and it's been flawless. I'll be coming over next month, so I hope any planned actions will be settled by then. But if not, I'll keep an eye out for your posts.

Your advise is always valued. Thank you for all you efforts to inform folks like me.

Nigel, allow me to add my voice to the chorus of those thanking you for your always invaluable advice. I hate it that anyone would question your motives but appreciate your clear response.

If I were Australian, I'd now say "good on you". !!

Well, it's been 4 days, so I guess James doesn't want to do the updates here, eh?

For people still planning to use First Great Western on the strike days, I can UPDATE that there hasn't been any announced change to the planned strike, either by the company or union.

I'll continue to update if there's a change or weekly - unless James beats me to it.....

Thanks Nigel. I appreciate your information and will look forward to your updates.

Adding my voice to the rest. Your updates and any other information you care to provide is very much appreciated. Thank you.

We plan to visit the UK, arriving Sept. 10, 2015. Any news about planned strikes in September?

Nigel, thank you very much for providing information about these strikes. Do you or does anyone else know if you buy tickets from a train company which then goes on strike on your travel day(s), if the company refunds your money? Because of these strikes, I'm hesitant to buy advance tickets to Cardiff for an October travel date.

Sarah, it is different for every strike, and every company, but generally what I see is the company hosting the strike asks passengers to travel a day before or a day after with Advance tickets being accepted on those days on any train, or if the passenger doesn't want to travel they offer a refund.

If you buy your tickets from third parties like Red Spotted Hankie or The Trainline, your contract is with that third party and I have no idea how they would handle it.

If you buy a ticket for the strike day after the strike has been called many operators decline to refund those. That was the case with travelcards for days of last week's Tube strike. Railways into London didn't refund them, and I don't think that TfL did either.

Always best to go to the horse's mouth on detail questions like that.

Any word about strikes in September?

I have not been notified of any railway strikes in September yet.

Thank you again, Nigel. I think we'll go to York instead of Cardiff for our day trip, not only because of strikes but for the sake of easier planning.

An update, things have not gone well in the talks, there does not appear to be a settlement coming.

Thank you for the updates, Nigel. It sounds like it may be an ongoing problem. We were scheduled to spend two nights in Henley-on-Thames prior to our flight home from LHR ( a pilgrimage for my husband the rower). As we would be dependent upon First Great Western to return us to London, I changed our reservation to one night, and we will spend the night prior to the flight in London. We are always happy for an extra night in our favorite city anyway.

First Great Western have now issued details of services during the late August strike:> https://www.firstgreatwestern.co.uk/strike
It is likely that Brits who do not have to travel by train (in affected areas), will either not travel or use road transport.
For those interested, here is a management statement on the issue:>https://www.firstgreatwestern.co.uk/travel-updates/strike-open-letter

Here is a statement from the RMT Union:>http://www.rmt.org.uk/news/rmt-names-new-strike-dates-on-first-great-western/

If travelling London to Exeter, South West Trains have a service from London (Waterloo). For onward travel into Devon/ Cornwall - you you change at Exeter (St.David's). Due strike disruption on FGW, South West Trains will be very busy on this route - so pre- book seats.http://www.southwesttrains.co.uk
If travelling from Heathrow to Exeter & using South West Trains, you should use the bus link from Heathrow to Woking for the SWT services.

Site for all train services = www.nationalrail.co.uk

National Express operate long distance coaches:>http://www.nationalexpress.com/home.aspx

Megabus also operate long distance coaches:>http://uk.megabus.com

For local buses in particular, this site is useful:>http://www.traveline.info

UPDATE: Talks continue but both strikes appear to still be happening.

There haven't been any tweets about updates, but National Rail maintain a webpage with the best case projected impacts on the various routes.

That page is at http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/service_disruptions/104437.aspx

I like rail travel, but if there's any talk about a rail strike, I would reserve a rental car rather than risk being stranded.

I've just had a release that both sides have given up on talks and won't consider meeting each other before next week.

UPDATE:
I have just received information from the RMT Union that the strikes this weekend are going ahead.

I am going to be traveling to the SW, Cornwall in October...hazard any guesses that this strike might be over by then? Also, is there any sort of bus bridge that might be available if the trains are stopped? They do that here when there are similar troubles... Thanks!

Would depend exactly where you would want to go. There are thinned out services as far as Penzance with a change at Plymouth on the current strike timetable for example. Some of the branches have arrangements onto local bus routes.

I have not seen any dates posted for October.

Unlike some parts of the world, strikes have to be announced well in advance, and are generally for specific times.

This strike is from this Saturday through Monday.

Thanks for the replies. I will be going to Bodmin Parkway and then to St. Ives, between 12 Oct. and 27 Oct. I hope there won't be anything to worry about then.

Nigel,

I've been following your train strike updates on this thread with great interest, seeing as how I will be in the UK for three weeks in October and plan to take various trains throughout the country. I understand when the strikes are affecting the London Underground and the more "localized" service out of London (such as to Windsor), but confess I am confused as to whether any of the long-er distance (i.e., London to Glasgow or Edinburgh) trains are also experiencing periodic work stoppages.

I am most concerned because I plan to take trains from London to Glasgow and then Edinburgh to Cardiff. I may have to make a backup plan (flights) in case the long-haul trains affected.

Neither of those routes are served by FGW operated trains, which are predominately from London Paddington to South Wales and the West & South West of England.

Something in excess of two-thirds of FGW trains are operating during these strikes, according to the company.