OT.. Trains & Strikes.

[RammyClaret61]

I’m looking at being in the U.K. in a couple of weeks. I’m looking for trains from London to Manchester. But nothing is coming up. Are they on strike that day?

Also, what’s the best website for train tickets? If they’re running of course.

[Granny WeatherWax]

What day?

But no more strikes are announced yet after this week, but sometime timetables, such as Avanti for the weekend of Millwall away, arent out yet.

I tend to use the Trainline website

[claretonthecoast1882]

You won't know if you train is running until that day.

You can hardly book any in advance these days and the ones you can they are just as likely to cancel at anytime.

If you are going to Manchester sadly you will be left with Avanti who have decided that this is the perfect time to rip everybody off. If you are just heading north go Kings Cross to Leeds then carry on from there and use eastcoasttraines for a better deal.

[Granny WeatherWax]

This is useful re Avanti

https://www.avantiwestcoast.co.uk/trave ... timetables

[RammyClaret61]

Thanks. Sorry it’s the Saturday of the WBA game.

[Claret Till I Die]

Thanks. Sorry it’s the Saturday of the WBA game.

Hope you're not planning on watching it live

[Granny WeatherWax]

If its Avanti you're looking for then, they are not available that Saturday yet (as per the link)

[Sutton-Claret]

Probably better to fly or hire a car....

[aggi]

I’m looking at being in the U.K. in a couple of weeks. I’m looking for trains from London to Manchester. But nothing is coming up. Are they on strike that day?

Also, what’s the best website for train tickets? If they’re running of course.

Avanti are terrible without strikes. They don't have enough trains running so only sell tickets at the last minute.

If you're actually looking for London to Burnley then I'd look at going down the east coast via Leeds.

[MiltonKeynesClaret93]

What day?

But no more strikes are announced yet after this week, but sometime timetables, such as Avanti for the weekend of Millwall away, arent out yet.

I tend to use the Trainline website

For what it's worth I would recommend using the National Rail website or the site of the company you're travelling with on the day. Had issues with revised timetables where Trainline were selling tickets and showing timetables for services that either had been changed or simply didn't exist.

[jrgbfc]

I've had a look for going from Leeds potentially for the Millwall and Luton games. Not looking that great. I've given up completely with Avanti.

[tiger76]

I've had a look for going from Leeds potentially for the Millwall and Luton games. Not looking that great. I've given up completely with Avanti.

More chance of Brownhill banging in a FK then being able to rely on Avanti, fortunately I'm able to travel south by coach, and if anyone does normally go by rail I'd strongly advise them to have alternative travel in mind if they haven't already even if it is a pain in the butt, because relying on the trains is dangerous to say the least right now even on non strike days, not to mention the ridiculous cost involved.

[Spike]

Thanks. Sorry it’s the Saturday of the WBA game.

Baggies is Friday 8pm not Saturday

[RammyClaret61]

Baggies is Friday 8pm not Saturday

Haha.. yes that’s me just glancing at my calendar and not noticing that it’s 7am kick off, meaning Friday night. That changes everything.

[lesxdp]

Look at trainline app. Should give you different options depending on your travel time.

[Stanbill05]

The strikes have introduced me to the benefits of national express. London to Manchester for the price of a London pint. Yes it takes longer, but I've found them comfortable and reliable and did I mention the price. Works even better if you've got flexibility to travel when roads are quieter.

[tiger76]

The strikes have introduced me to the benefits of national express. London to Manchester for the price of a London pint. Yes it takes longer, but I've found them comfortable and reliable and did I mention the price. Works even better if you've got flexibility to travel when roads are quieter.

And here lies the danger for the railways, if commuters find new reliable methods of travelling which are also much cheaper there's no guarantee the will return once this long standing strike action has concluded.

Like yourself I'll be travelling by bus in future, now I'm fortunate that I I have the flexibility to do that, and Friday evening games are ideal, means I can set off at a reasonable hour and still comfortably get into Burnley well before KO.

And I doubt I'll go back to rail for any lengthy journeys in future as the price hikes are obscene and the service is unreliable at best, plus even if you can manage to get a train there's a fair chance you'll need to stand for the majority of the trip.

The folks I really feel for are those who use the trains for travelling to work it must be a complete nightmare for those passengers who travel daily.

[Lip]

The folks I really feel for are those who use the trains for travelling to work it must be a complete nightmare for those passengers who travel daily"

And those that actually work for British fail.

[Hipper]

You might consider talking to the London Clarets.

[Pearcey]

You’ll be fine. Get yourself on the train. By far the best way to travel. Bit of food and a couple of pints and you’ll be reyt.

[Lancasterclaret]

Trains would be the perfect way to go to football matches

Thing is, they have been getting more and more unreliable and the strikes are just another symptom of that

One thing is 100% sure, it needs sorting out, and handing out contracts to the likes of Avanti are not the way to do it

[Pearcey]

And the folks I feel sorry for are those low earning cleaners, gate staff, conductors etc that haven’t had a pay rise for 4 years despite being on the front line during the pandemic and are now struggling to pay their bills whilst the companies they work for post massive profits. They’re now losing money on strike days because they feel the need to fight for their future.

[jrgbfc]

I used to love doing our London away games on the train, it's a great day out. With the cost and unreliability it's getting to the stage where it's not really feasible, especially when you throw in the hassle of getting to Leeds or Manchester from Colne.

[Spike]

And the folks I feel sorry for are those low earning cleaners, gate staff, conductors etc that haven’t had a pay rise for 4 years despite being on the front line during the pandemic and are now struggling to pay their bills whilst the companies they work for post massive profits. They’re now losing money on strike days because they feel the need to fight for their future.

Far too many striking days . They’ve made the point but beginning to lose sympathy by them always striking when I need them

[Pearcey]

Far too many striking days . They’ve made the point but beginning to lose sympathy by them always striking when I need them

They don’t want to strike you know but the government won’t give the companies a mandate to talk pay. What else are they do? Just suck it up? Imagine giving up on your future!

[Bigbopper]

They don’t want to strike you know but the government won’t give the companies a mandate to talk pay. What else are they do? Just suck it up? Imagine giving up on your future!

Imagine being the best-paid drivers in Europe. Yes I realise not all employees are drivers.

[Pearcey]

Imagine being the best-paid drivers in Europe. Yes I realise not all employees are drivers.

The drivers are ASLEF not RMT. They’re fighting their own battle. The drivers are well paid but that’s not their fault is it. They’ve still had a real terms pay cut over the last 4 years whilst their employers post massive profit.

[Pearcey]

Don’t get me wrong, I understand people’s frustrations but without unions we wouldn’t have half the benefits we have now. Weekend work, maternity/paternity leave etc. And don’t forget, the members ARE the union not just the Mick Lynch’s.

[SammyBoy]

If the Trainline site is saying no tickets are available yet it's likely there will only be limited buy on the day services running unless the strikes/whatever's causing it is resolved. I tried buying train tickets from London to Manchester back in November and ended up having to Megabus it because tickets never went on sale despite me checking repeatedly for about a month.

[Hipper]

https://dataportal.orr.gov.uk/statistic ... y-finance/

https://dataportal.orr.gov.uk/media/203 ... 020-21.pdf

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[Stanbill05]

https://dataportal.orr.gov.uk/statistic ... y-finance/

https://dataportal.orr.gov.uk/media/203 ... 020-21.pdf

page 22:

Capture.PNG

And who were those dividends paid to? Fatcats? Or pension funds. Be careful demonising dividends. Lots of normal people are in the **** without them. That is not to say people shouldn't seek fair pay by the way, just making the point.