Dawnstar Posted November 16, 2023 Share Posted November 16, 2023 I'm relieved I haven't booked Cav & Pag yet, since 2 of the 7 performances are now out for me with the strikes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
San Perregrino Posted December 8, 2023 Share Posted December 8, 2023 (edited) A friend and I popped up to Birmingham from London yesterday for lunch in Chinatown and to see the BRB Nutcracker matinee then back to Covent Garden for the RB evening performance. On this occasion, we travelled Avanti in both directions. It was like going back in time: clean trains, full but not overcrowded, no delays and no dramas other than a ticket inspector collaring a fare dodger. Effortless. Exactly how train travel ought to be. How refreshing. If only it were ever thus. Contrast this with the crowded, unpleasant and lengthy bus journey home after Wednesday’s RB Nutcracker opening night necessitated by the periodic rail overtime ban that appears to be achieving nothing other than continuing to negatively affect those needing to use rail services to go about their lives. Edited December 8, 2023 by PeterS 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jan McNulty Posted December 8, 2023 Share Posted December 8, 2023 35 minutes ago, PeterS said: A friend and I popped up to Birmingham from London yesterday for lunch in Chinatown and to see the BRB Nutcracker matinee then back to Covent Garden for the RB evening performance. On this occasion, we travelled Avanti in both directions. It was like going back in time: clean trains, full but not overcrowded, no delays and no dramas other than a ticket inspector collaring a fare dodger. Effortless. Exactly how train travel ought to be. How refreshing. If only it were ever thus. Contrast this with the crowded, unpleasant and lengthy bus journey home after Wednesday’s RB Nutcracker opening night necessitated by the periodic rail overtime ban that appears to be achieving nothing other than continuing to negatively affect those needing to use rail services to go about their lives. Avanti??? I'm in a state of shock!!! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kate_N Posted December 8, 2023 Share Posted December 8, 2023 Gosh @PeterS what a lovely experience (the train, not the bus). I do treasure those journeys - I've had a few on the Avanti West Coast line going north from Birmingham. But too often, there've been delays, or - increasingly - REALLY unpleasant other passengers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alison Posted December 8, 2023 Share Posted December 8, 2023 I have to admit that my last few journeys to Brum on Avanti have been pretty similar - apart from the one where a fire on the line forced me to return via Chiltern Railways instead. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob S Posted January 15 Author Share Posted January 15 More train strikes announced: Drivers will strike at Southeastern, Southern/Gatwick Express, Great Northern, Thameslink and South Western Railway on Tuesday 30 January; at Northern Trains and TransPennine Express on Wednesday 31 January; at Greater Anglia, C2C and LNER on Friday 2 February; at West Midlands Trains, Avanti West Coast and East Midlands Railway on Saturday 3 February; and at Great Western, CrossCountry and Chiltern on Monday 5 February. Drivers will refuse to work overtime from Monday 29 January until Tuesday 6 February. That's my trip to Bath to see Alina Cojocaru and Matthew Ball affected ☹️ 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LinMM Posted January 15 Share Posted January 15 There’s a double performance of Manon on Feb 3rd which may affect quite a few members here. Anyone using Thameslink it means that whole week will be affected in terms of altered timetable as there will be half the number of trains as usual due to no overtime etc 1 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alison Posted January 15 Share Posted January 15 Waiting with bated breath to see whether my trip to Southampton to see BRB's Sleeping Beauty will be affected ... Just checking for engineering works down Southampton way and found: I don't imagine anyone is trying to go Marylebone to Birmingham Moor Street today, but there's a Do Not Travel due to landslip. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
San Perregrino Posted January 15 Share Posted January 15 A fresh series of strikes has been unveiled by the main train drivers' union, Aslef, in its long-running pay dispute with 16 train companies. The stoppages between Tuesday 30 January and Monday 5 February will affect different operators each day. The drivers will also refuse to work overtime from Monday 29 January until Tuesday 6 February. The first strike in this dispute by Aslef was in July 2022, and the row is now in its third calendar year. The Rail Delivery Group - which represents the train operators - said "nobody wins" when strikes take place and called on Aslef to work with them to resolve the dispute. The Department for Transportcalled the action disappointing. Which train companies are affected on which day? Tuesday 30 January: Southeastern, Southern, Gatwick Express, Great Northern, Thameslink, South Western Railway and SWR Island Line Wednesday 31 January: Northern Trains, Transpennine Express Friday 2 February: Greater Anglia, C2C, LNER Saturday 3 February: West Midlands Trains, Avanti West Coast, East Midlands Railway Monday 5 February: Great Western, CrossCountry, Chiltern Operators not involved in industrial action, for example ScotRail and Transport for Wales, should run normal services. Previously, most of the train companies involved have not been able to run any trains when drivers are on strike. A few have run a limited timetable using managers to drive trains. There will be no strike action on Thursday 1 February or Sunday 4 February. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LinMM Posted January 15 Share Posted January 15 Luckily I don’t have to worry about trains for another five weeks yet!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jan McNulty Posted January 15 Share Posted January 15 Although TP aren't shown for 30th Jan the companies seem to stop trains earlier the day before the strike and start later the day after the strike. Blummin' 'eck!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SheilaC Posted January 15 Share Posted January 15 My trip to Bath to see Alina affected, too, but I can get a refund on my LNER tickets and book CrossCountry, I hope. Annoying when it's such a long, complex journey from the NE, at the best of times. Kings Cross being closed some weekends a nightmare- had a horrendous journey back last night, had to catch a train from St Pancras, which was utter chaos, an hour trip on a filthy East Midlands train, then an hour long coach journey to Grantham, then, at last, a comfy LNER train. At least the performance of Giselle made it worth while although the long delay for Act 2 was worrying as there was a possibility I'd miss the train. And I disagree on the forum about Takahashi, I found her very moving and dancing as well as the night before, an amazing performance for a sudden substitution. 8 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dawnstar Posted January 15 Share Posted January 15 I'm extremely relieved that the next round of strikes & overtime bans are happening over a week when I don't have anything booked. Admittedly the main reason I don't have any Manons booked is because I already have no trains due to engineering on 3rd February! 3 hours ago, LinMM said: There’s a double performance of Manon on Feb 3rd which may affect quite a few members here. Anyone using Thameslink it means that whole week will be affected in terms of altered timetable as there will be half the number of trains as usual due to no overtime etc Yes, they almost might as well go on strike for the entire week given the train service always looks so awful on non-strike-but-overtime-ban days that I don't dare try to travel on those days. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob S Posted January 18 Author Share Posted January 18 Drivers were due to strike at LNER on Friday 2 February and will now strike for another five days from Monday 5 until Friday 9 February, and extend an overtime ban until Saturday 10 February. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dawnstar Posted February 8 Share Posted February 8 (edited) While it's is unlikely to affect anyone's theatregoing, I've noticed this on the National Rail website https://www.nationalrail.co.uk/service-disruptions/xc-ia-20240123/ I thought the RMT was supposed to have stopped striking after coming to an agreement so it's disappointing to see it's having another strike, albeit a localised one. Edit: Oh, I see the RMT is also striking on the London Overground so it seems the apparent agreement definitely isn't working. https://www.nationalrail.co.uk/service-disruptions/lo-industrial-action-20240131/ Edited February 8 by Dawnstar 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alison Posted February 8 Share Posted February 8 It would be SO NICE if National Rail had got its website working properly before it went live (and dumped the old one!) (I'm still trying to work out how much my fare to Birmingham will be. Hopeless) 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dawnstar Posted February 8 Share Posted February 8 1 hour ago, alison said: It would be SO NICE if National Rail had got its website working properly before it went live (and dumped the old one!) (I'm still trying to work out how much my fare to Birmingham will be. Hopeless) It's particularly annoying me that you now have to select an out train before it lets you see any of the return options. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
San Perregrino Posted February 8 Share Posted February 8 No trains in or out of Euston over the Easter period probably puts paid to my plan to travel to Birmingham for the BRB Tchaikovsky evening on March 28th. No trains to and from London Euston this Easter We strongly recommend you travel either side of the Easter weekend (29 March to 1 April). No trains will run to and from London Euston station over Easter while Network Rail carry out improvement work, and other parts of the West Coast Main Line are also affected. If you do need to travel, please plan ahead and make a reservation, as your journey will take much longer. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alison Posted February 8 Share Posted February 8 What time does the last train back from Moor Street go? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sim Posted February 15 Share Posted February 15 Due to popular demand, I am locking this thread and creating a new one that will cover all things transport. Thank you. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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