I've been visiting my sister and niece in Aldershot over Christmas, train from Berwick to Kings Cross, Tube to Waterloo, then train from Waterloo to Aldershot. The last part is usually straight through. I'd read up about the strike and knew that a change at Woking would be needed. This caused no problems on my way down on Satirday 21st, but it was a different experience starting off on the way home yesterday (Monday 30th) on the 1134 train from Aldershot. On alighting at Woking to change trains, the passengers from the Aldershot service had to cross from Platform 1 to Platform 2 via the footbridge - not easy when you've got a large suitcase! - to get the fast train to Waterloo from there as per the timetable.
No such luck - the train was packed and the platform staff were telling us not to board, directing us to platform 3 where there was a stopping service to Waterloo at 1205, taking just under an hour and due in to Waterloo at 1301. (It also had no First Class accommodation - myself and a few others had First Class tickets, but we just accepted this as a necessary evil.) I'd got talking to a couple from Edinburgh on the train from Aldershot and we agreed to stick together for the trip to Kings Cross, as we were all booked on the 1400 LNER northbound service, and in turn we got talking to a chap sitting opposite us, a regular commuter, who advised us to alight at Vauxhall and get the Tube from there to Kings Cross rather than alight at Waterloo. A wise choice, as the train gradually filled up on the way in and quickly became standing room only! So we changed from train to Tube at Vauxhall. Thankfully it was a direct link and we all got to Kings Cross just before half 1, where our train (an Azuma) was waiting to speed us north. A trip which usually takes 75 minutes ended up taking two hours, from leaving Aldershot to eventually arriving at Kings Cross!
Having seen first hand the problems the strikes are causing, I'm glad I only had to endure this once and not every day - my sympathies are with the passengers and also with the staff. Everyone deserves better than this current farcical situation.