Ongoing UK rail strike action thread

[postie]

You could almost think there is a deliberate strategy to evoke the 1970s - militant union leaders, walk outs, blackouts, unions in cahoots, et al. The only problem with that is Margaret Thatcher brought in a slew of 'union busting' laws through the 1980s so the 1970s couldn't happen again - every union today has to comply with Thatchers rules.

 

So the unions play by the rules and the Government refuses to allow talks - the nurses union even said we don't want the pay review recommendation of 19%, we will call the strike off if you will just talk to us.

 

Could it possibly have anything to do with a 20-point deficit in the polls and under 2-years 'til the next General Election.

Edited December 22, 2022 by postie

[annamk]

1 hour ago, postie said:

You could almost think there is a deliberate strategy to evoke the 1970s - militant union leaders, walk outs, blackouts, unions in cahoots, et al. The only problem with that is Margaret Thatcher brought in a slew of 'union busting' laws through the 1980s so the 1970s couldn't happen again - every union today has to comply with Thatchers rules.

 

So the unions play by the rules and the Government refuses to allow talks - the nurses union even said we don't want the pay review recommendation of 19%, we will call the strike off if you will just talk to us.

 

Could it possibly have anything to do with a 20-point deficit in the polls and under 2-years 'til the next General Election.

I thought this was a forum to discuss ballet ? 

[LinMM]

Well it is generally annamk but this particular thread is about ongoing UK rail strike action so probably a little leeway can be allowed here …..though obviously with a leaning where possible to inform inspite of the strikes how people may get to theatre performances especially ballet performances wherever they are in U.K.

Its useful because not all the rail companies are striking on the same day so people from different areas can warn how it’s likely to be etc. 

Edited December 22, 2022 by LinMM

[annamk]

5 minutes ago, LinMM said:

Well it is generally annamk but this particular thread is about ongoing UK rail strike action so probably a little leeway can be allowed here …..though obviously with a leaning where possible to inform inspite of the strikes how people may get to theatre performances especially ballet performances wherever they are in U.K.

It’s useful because not all the rail companies are striking on the same day so people from different areas can warn how it’s likely to be etc. 

it’s very helpful for people to give information about how strike action affects people getting to performances but the post I commented on was nothing to do with that. 

[postie]

2 hours ago, annamk said:

I thought this was a forum to discuss ballet ? 

 

Thank you for picking my post and not others, including the one just before about taxpayer funded bonuses of £4 million.

[DanJL]

14 minutes ago, postie said:

 

Thank you for picking my post and not others, including the one just before about taxpayer funded bonuses of £4 million.

Yes, I have to agree there have been quite a few posts on the other side of the argument. Not sure whether we should be going into politics on a ballet forum but if we do I think balance would be preferable. 

[Sim]

8 minutes ago, DanJL said:

Not sure whether we should be going into politics on a ballet forum 

No we shouldn’t.  Please let’s stick to ballet and how travel is affecting people.  Everyone has different opinions on the strikes but there are other fora where these can be discussed.  
 

Thank you.  

[Dawnstar]

On 21/12/2022 at 22:34, jmhopton said:

I'm due at the ROH 18/19 Jan and am living in dread of the next round of strikes. Just hope they announce them soon, as not knowing is almost worse than being affected.  You can't book trains until you know and then you might have to decide to cut your visit short or stay an extra night. It's just so complicated.

 

I'll join you in praying that there isn't a strike on 18th-19th, as I have ENB Swan Lake booked on 18th & RB Sleeping Beauty on 19th. I agree it's horribly nerve-wracking having to spend weeks waiting to find out if there will be strikes or not.

[alison]

I went through a station earlier where it said trains might not start on the 27th until noon. So double check  - everything.

[Dawnstar]

I was very relieved yesterday, when the timetables were updated for 28th-30th, to find that the trains I need on both 28th & 30th are due to be running. Though given the possibility of last-minute cancellations, I'm thinking of getting the train before the one I'd usually get to London just in case. I'm so nervy about not getting to performances due to the train strikes that this morning I woke up from a nightmare that I'd only got to the RB Nutcracker in time to see the final short scene!

Edited December 23, 2022 by Dawnstar

[LinMM]

That’s horrible Dawnstar! 
I still have a sort of recurring dream every few years about being late at the exam centre for my A levels and that was over 50 years ago now!! 

[zxDaveM]

that'll be the Trans Penines Express - management version 2.1

[Emeralds]

ASLEF strike 5 Jan - 

I haven’t scrolled back far enough to check all the posts, but the ASLEF strike now means I have no trains from the southeast going to London on Thursday 5 January at all, whereas previously I thought 3,4, and 6,7 January were the strike days and 5 Jan was ok! Not sure which other regions the ASLEF action affects (15 operators I’m told) but members, please recheck your journey planners online regularly (in case you need to change ticket bookings) as I only just found out. 

 

What I now have is :

3,4, 6, 7 Jan- can attend matinee but not evening shows (eg my last train leaves at 5.30 -might be 5pm or earlier for other routes)

5 Jan - no trains at all

 

Also, for members who may be using City Thameslink station during weekdays to get to ROH, the Aldwych bus stop has been diverted for roadworks as well, so it’s a longer walk from the bus stop - which is now next to the old BBC Broadcasting House building. (NB City Thameslink is closed at night  so for evening performances, you can’t use it after the show).

 

Edited December 28, 2022 by Emeralds

[Dawnstar]

11 minutes ago, Emeralds said:

(NB City Thameslink is closed at night  so for evening performances, you can’t use it after the show).

 

Is this a recent/temporary thing? Because I definitely used City Thameslink post-performance in September after going to the Nuryev Gala.

[alison]

I'm afraid the ASLEF strike was announced some time ago   I was at a Southeastern station yesterday where they announced that there would be no trains at all from 3rd-7th January.  Apparently there were no Thameslinks running yesterday (28th) due to strike action, either.  The whole thing is getting more and more ludicrous - and seriously damaging businesses.

[LinMM]

I used City Thameslink on 23rd December and the bus stops …there are really three for ROH were all working that day. 
However regards trains the 3rd and 4th and 6th and 7th definitely not good to travel on where Thameslink is concerned. 
The three bus stops reasonable for ROH are1)  the one past the Royal courts of Justice : Australia House….just walk round till you come to traffic lights at the bottom of Kingsway cross over both crossings there and then turn left and carry on round to Drury Lane! 
2) The next one along :  Aldwych Drury Lane …probably the nearest to ROH …..just walk up Drury Lane and turn left just past the theatre with Frozen on and you come to Bow st. 

3) The Savoy Hotel on the Strand …then just cross over road and walk up either Bedford st or Southampton Row… not sure which but opposite the Savoy and you come to the Plaza. 
Im not sure which of these bus stops is closed at the moment but all is not lost if one of them is!! 
I always thought ASLEF union affected the tubes more so could be not that many tubes on the 5th as well as any mainline trains it might affect. 
All in all the first week of January doesn’t look like a good week to travel up to London unless absolutely essential. 

Edited December 28, 2022 by LinMM

[postie]

If you haven't had a stroll along that eastern end of The Stand recently - the Somerset House > St Mary's > High Court end -  it really is taking shape now as a significant pedestrianised area. Should be pretty stunning by summer, and peaceful. Reasonable amount of seating already in place.

 

The Greggs is rather handy, as well ..

Edited December 29, 2022 by postie

[alison]

I still can't really see the point, though.

[Emeralds]

On 28/12/2022 at 17:54, Dawnstar said:

 

Is this a recent/temporary thing? Because I definitely used City Thameslink post-performance in September after going to the Nuryev Gala.

 

Most of the time City Thameslink (CTK) is shut after ROH performances end. 

For the Dec & Jan remaining performances of RB & ENB Nutcrackers (and the January run of Swan Lakes and Sleeping Beauties), they all finish too late for CTK. The last direct northbound and southbound trains both depart CTK before 8pm, while the very last train to depart CTK is at 8.59pm to Farringdon, where you can then catch connecting trains north or south. That’s still too early for any Nutcracker evening show. No problem for matinees though. 

 

On 28/12/2022 at 18:41, LinMM said:

I used City Thameslink on 23rd December and the bus stops …there are really three for ROH were all working that day. 
However regards trains the 3rd and 4th and 6th and 7th definitely not good to travel on where Thameslink is concerned. 
The three bus stops reasonable for ROH are1)  the one past the Royal courts of Justice : Australia House….just walk round till you come to traffic lights at the bottom of Kingsway cross over both crossings there and then turn left and carry on round to Drury Lane! 
2) The next one along :  Aldwych Drury Lane …probably the nearest to ROH …..just walk up Drury Lane and turn left just past the theatre with Frozen on and you come to Bow st. 

3) The Savoy Hotel on the Strand …then just cross over road and walk up either Bedford st or Southampton Row… not sure which but opposite the Savoy and you come to the Plaza. 
Im not sure which of these bus stops is closed at the moment but all is not lost if one of them is!! 
I always thought ASLEF union affected the tubes more so could be not that many tubes on the 5th as well as any mainline trains it might affect. 
All in all the first week of January doesn’t look like a good week to travel up to London unless absolutely essential. 

 

The tube services in Zones 1 &2 are still running on 3-7 January on the strike days - including 5th January. Outside Zone 2 there are variations - some stations have trains stopping all week, others may not. 

 

The bus stop I was alluding to was the Kings College London entrance bus stop which is the quickest walk to ROH. Not an issue if one has plenty of time but just for members already delayed by timetable changes to be aware of. 

 

Jan 3-7 is indeed going to be a challenging week for audiences, performers and theatre staff,  But the ballet performances in London at the Coliseum and Royal Opera House are not off limits to all- not everyone needs trains to get in: many members here live near enough or are in an area where bus, Tube, driving, cycling or walking are possible, and sometimes may even be quicker than on non-strike days where there are crowds. What is not accessible for some may end up being a smooth journey for others.

 

I’ve  seen a lot of Nutcracker tickets for ENB and a small number for RB released for resale during this week, so some performances that had previously looked sold out or not had seats with good sightlines available now have good options for members hoping to catch promising young dancers or favourite artists in the last week of Nutcracker. 

 

Thameslink seems to have dealt with the industrial action by putting on a regular service (northbound as well as southbound) during the day (including Saturday 7th) so all the matinees are accessible for members on a Thameslink route, supplemented by Tube/bus/taxi/walking on arrival at London Bridge/St Pancras International/Blackfriars etc. Members who travel from west, east, etc may have similar alternatives. 

[LinMM]

Yes I think it’s the Kings College bus stop which is no longer in use as that whole section of road just before what used to be the left turn to Waterloo Bridge has been cut off for months now and looks like it’s going to be a permanent situation by the sound of it! 
It seems that on strike days Thameslink do provide a few trains about one an hour but they finish early in the evening so not so good for theatre going. 

[jmhopton]

Bad news for us Vadim watchers as ASLEF have announced a  drivers strike Feb 1st and 3rd. Have tickets and accommodation for the 3rd. Don't know what I'm going to do. I thought it was being resolved.

[Balletfanp]

They were made a revised offer which (by the sounds of it), wasn’t much of a revision.

 

I’ll be going back coach but I do that anyway. I know it’s a long way, but is it feasible for you?

[jmhopton]

2 hours ago, Balletfanp said:

They were made a revised offer which (by the sounds of it), wasn’t much of a revision.

 

I’ll be going back coach but I do that anyway. I know it’s a long way, but is it feasible for you?

 

No, is the short answer by coach, I'm afraid, Balletfanp. There used to be a very good coach service Preston to London. OK it took 7 hours but I could knock an hour off that by getting off at Golders Green and getting the Northern Line to Euston. Then covid came and now National Express only have one coach a day and that leaves Preston at 3.15am! I've checked Manchester and Birmingham from Preston and it's the same coach for all 3. Megabus too only has 1 coach a day and that doesn't get in London until about 9.05pm. Something called Flixbus stops at Finchley Road at 18.45 so cutting it far too fine for getting to the ROH. In these circs I usually go to Cheltenham and get the excellent coach service from there but the builder has currently turned the house into a disaster area by doing much needed work on the roof, and ripping out the kitchen, preparatory to installing a new one so I don't know if that's feasible. Just checked Vadim's other performance on 20th Jan and it's sold out though there are now a few expensive tickets available on 3rd Feb which was previously sold out. (wonder if that's people returning them because of rail strike?) Having just cancelled two Jan performances I really didn't want to miss seeing Vadim but it looks as if it will be having to risk Chelt or staying over 2 nights.

Has anyone tried travelling during a train strike? Is there any sort of minimum service running? Presumably you won't know until the day. I wouldn't bother so much if it was for the return journey but don't want to risk waiting hours on a station to no avail. Apparently both ASLEF and RMT are striking so it sounds fairly comprehensive.

[MJW]

13 minutes ago, jmhopton said:

 

No, is the short answer by coach, I'm afraid, Balletfanp. There used to be a very good coach service Preston to London. OK it took 7 hours but I could knock an hour off that by getting off at Golders Green and getting the Northern Line to Euston. Then covid came and now National Express only have one coach a day and that leaves Preston at 3.15am! I've checked Manchester and Birmingham from Preston and it's the same coach for all 3. Megabus too only has 1 coach a day and that doesn't get in London until about 9.05pm. Something called Flixbus stops at Finchley Road at 18.45 so cutting it far too fine for getting to the ROH. In these circs I usually go to Cheltenham and get the excellent coach service from there but the builder has currently turned the house into a disaster area by doing much needed work on the roof, and ripping out the kitchen, preparatory to installing a new one so I don't know if that's feasible. Just checked Vadim's other performance on 20th Jan and it's sold out though there are now a few expensive tickets available on 3rd Feb which was previously sold out. (wonder if that's people returning them because of rail strike?) Having just cancelled two Jan performances I really didn't want to miss seeing Vadim but it looks as if it will be having to risk Chelt or staying over 2 nights.

Has anyone tried travelling during a train strike? Is there any sort of minimum service running? Presumably you won't know until the day. I wouldn't bother so much if it was for the return journey but don't want to risk waiting hours on a station to no avail. Apparently both ASLEF and RMT are striking so it sounds fairly comprehensive.

 

I have travelled during one of the strike days in December (RMT) and was able to travel by getting a bus to the closest working station. Unfortunately with an ASLEF strike, clearly no trains can run without drivers so presumably the network will be even more badly affected. 

 

According to ASLEF's website the trains companies subject to the strike are:

 

The companies affected include Avanti West Coast; Chiltern Railways; CrossCountry; East Midlands Railway; Great Western Railway; Greater Anglia; GTR Great Northern Thameslink; London North Eastern Railway; Northern Trains; Southeastern; Southern/Gatwick Express; South Western Railway (depot drivers only); SWR Island Line; TransPennine Express; and West Midlands Trains.

 

 

[LinMM]

When RMT and ASLEF striking there won’t be any trains. 
When the RMT only was striking there was one or occasionally two trains an hour instead of usual 4 on Thameslink line but nothing when ASLEF went out. 
 

[jmhopton]

1 minute ago, LinMM said:

When RMT and ASLEF striking there won’t be any trains. 
When the RMT only was striking there was one or occasionally two trains an hour instead of usual 4 on Thameslink line but nothing when ASLEF went out. 
 

Thanks LinMM and MJW. it's more or less what I thought.  So I can rule out waiting for possible trains and either have an extra night or get the coach from Cheltenham. Despite the ongoing building work the latter is looking a more attractive option as my fallback cheap London hotel is temporarily closed. I hope Vadim appreciates all the worry and hard work that goes into seeing him dance! Worth it though!

[Scheherezade]

I do hope you make it, strikes notwithstanding. And, yes, Vadim is definitely worth it. 

[alison]

He certainly was last night.

[Scheherezade]

13 minutes ago, alison said:

He certainly was last night.

 

☺️

[bangorballetboy]

On 30/12/2022 at 21:28, Emeralds said:

 

Most of the time City Thameslink (CTK) is shut after ROH performances end. 

...

The last direct northbound and southbound trains both depart CTK before 8pm, while the very last train to depart CTK is at 8.59pm to Farringdon, where you can then catch connecting trains north or south.

 

That's only at weekends and on public holidays.  Monday to Friday CTK closes at 2300 (I'm quite used to the station - my office is directly above it).

 

And when CTK is closed, Blackfriars is only a couple of minutes walk further on.

[LinMM]

I’ve always been able to get a thameslink train say from Kings Cross to Brighton pretty late (though usually try to avoid travelling on Sundays)  generally certainly well after 8pm! So the trains certainly run through CTK station. 
However I’m not sure if you can actually access this particular station as much as some others on the line within London at w/ends ….though always serves me very well mid week when I’m usually using it and well after 8pm if I needed it to. 

[jmhopton]

10 hours ago, Scheherezade said:

I do hope you make it, strikes notwithstanding. And, yes, Vadim is definitely worth it. 

Thanks  Scherezade. I'm determined to make it! I think it's going to be via the coach from Chelt. I don't know why the coach service is so good from Chelt and so abysmal from Preston. There are loads from Manchester but no direct coaches from Preston to Manchester apart from a Flixbus service which is actually the London coach but doesn't get into Victoria until 19.20.

[JohnS]

I’d postponed booking rail tickets hoping for better rail news. First trip this year is supposedly a day trip for Tannhauser 4 February but I’m not at all confident of making that. Sleeping Beauty then should kick off for me 10 February. All very disappointing having booked ROH tickets several months ago.