UK Train strike updates in Real Time Aug 13- Ugh

August 13, 18 and 20 are the announced train strike dates as of today. There likely will be more on the way as the Conservative Government in power in London is preventing the train companies from negotiating to reach a settlement with their employees. The London Tube also has an announced strike date of August 19.
If that's not enough to keep track of, the pilots at British Airways were to have wrapped up voting yesterday on authorizing a strike of their own. The British press is anticipating the pilots will give the nod to their union calling a strike in the near future-- possibly beginning this month.
British Airways granted their employees who check-in passengers at Heathrow Air[port an 8% pay raise and their employees who refuel the planes a raise. Both imminent strikes were called off in July in the brink of time. So, it's not a complete surprise that the pilots think they will have to do the same to get BA management to restore their pay near what it was two years ago when they agreed to a 20 percent pay cut after Covid shut down the travel industry.

Kendo,
thx so much for taking the time to reply . Here's hoping for all travelers' sakes that the strikes are averted, and employees are compensated fairly.

Yes- let's hope reason and compromise win the day for everyone.

Unions have to give 14 days notice of strikes, so any future industrial action beyond what has been announced won’t affect her.

what date is she heading north to Scotland? and back? Will she drive all the way from Oxford (difficult and expensive parking) to Edinburgh (snap)?

She wanted to get to Edinburgh on Saturday the 13th, and if she rents a car in Oxford, she could stop and sleep somewhere on the way to Edinburgh, breaking up the drive. She'd turn in the car when she arrives in Edinburgh. She can't figure out an alternative if the strike is on. She said buses take forever- the ones she found. Nigel, we really need your genius here!

Oxford to Edinburgh will take around 7 hours by car, east or west. The east route would have possible overnights around Leeds, York or Newcastle, all nice.

But if she is content with dividing her 7 hour drive into 2 days, couldn't she go the day before and take the train?

The current state of play is:

August 13: Arriva Rail London (London Overground); Greater Anglia; Great Western; Hull Trains; LNER; Southeastern; West Midlands Trains, Avanti West Coast, CrossCountry (ASLEF members)

August 18 and 20: All UK train operators are likely to be affected, even if they are not directly part of the dispute (RMT and TSSA members)

August 19: London Underground workers are to strike in a row over jobs and pensions (RMT members)

So on the 13th she would be out of luck for going north because she would need Cross Country and Avanti West Coast, both on strike. But there may be a few trains running, only 40,000 staff are striking. I don't see an easy convoluted route to get to Manchester or Crewe (where she could get a TPE train to Glasgow) from Oxford.

So go a day early, or a day late, or drive. I don't know a good alternative...

How about a bike rental? There is no better way to see the countryside than by cycling or walking.

Nigel, thanks for the info.
The Summer Experience at Oxford is Monday thru Friday, with a big banquet Friday night, which she wants to attend. With your info, we now are confident that she's not missing an easy work around. Is there a reasonable chance the strike will be canceled?
Thx again.

Funny, Mike...

I'm hoping that maybe there's a message board at the Oxford Summer Experience, and perhaps find a ride with another participant going her direction. Everyone attending will need to travel the 13th, without trains, it seems.

Is there a reasonable chance the strike will be canceled?

if the government allows an acceptable (to the union) settlement from the railway companies.

Unlikely, but we can hope

Update in real time-

Well, my daughter is having so much fun trying to get from Oxford to Edinburgh today. She had reserved a rental car from Priceline . ( She could have stayed in Oxford today, I guess, but it's been so darn hot she actually looked forward to the air conditioning of the car.)
The rental car agency had no record of her reservation. There were no rentals a available anywhere in Oxford, as she needs an automatic- we tried for years to teach her shifting, but it was a lost cause. Give her a challenging law case, no problem; stick shift, disaster!
So she flew from Oxford to Belfast. Is waiting for the flight from Belfast to Glasgow. Seems the train from Glasgow to Edinburgh is not on strike, or there are bus options .

This is the opposite of a glowing trip report. Had she not been baking all week in Oxford, she wouldn't have been so eager to head north today.

Hopefully she arrives at The Fringe today!

Interesting choices……..
I hope she can look back on this as a positive experience.

She likes travel challenges, but this one is remarkable. Sometimes you get lucky in a situation like this, and sometimes not. But it's her first international trip since 2019, so that's a plus!

She had reserved a rental car from Priceline ...........The rental car agency had no record of her reservation.

Sadly another example of using a 'middleman' gone awry

Things have to get better, right?

Joe, if there is one thing I've learned in this life, it can always get worse.

Pat, keep us posted. Your daughter is clearly resilient and now she will have a story to tell. Adversity does that.

Well, my daughter did arrive in Edinburgh from Oxford last night, after two flights , including three countries, (in Scotland's view) and a non-striking train from Glasgow to Edinburgh. The Fringe is delightful, she reports, and "All's Well That End's Well." Thanks for the concerns.

well amazingly a plan comes together...whew!

Yay. I’m glad she made it. I do hope the temperature is cool enough for her and hope she enjoys the rest of her time there.