Chiltern strike timetables

[xerosis]

Chiltern have started to put their information up.

Tuesday 21st June 2022:

* DUE TO PLANNED RMT INDUSTRIAL ACTION, A SEVERELY-REDUCED TIMETABLE WILL BE IN OPERATION ON THIS DATE.

Train services starts 08:00 and finish before 18:00.

2 trains per hour will run to/from London Marylebone:

• 1 train to Banbury calling at West Ruislip, Denham, Denham Golf Club, Gerrards Cross, Seer Green and Jordans, Beaconsfield, High Wycombe, Saunderton, P/Risborough, Haddenham, Bicester Nth and Banbury.
• 1 train to Aylesbury Vale Parkway via High Wycombe calling at Denham, Gerrards Cross, Beaconsfield, High Wycombe, P/Risborough, Aylesbury and Aylesbury Vale Parkway.
• No trains between Aylesbury and Great Missenden due to London Underground Strike

Last trains from Marylebone will be:

• 1510 to Banbury
• 1610 to Bicester North
• 1645 to Aylesbury Vale Parkway via High Wycombe

No replacement buses will run.

Tickets will be valid on Cross Country services between Banbury, Leamington Spa and Birmingham New Street.

 

[JonathanH]

Chiltern have started to put their information up.

To what extent do platform lengths govern what stations can be served and how long the trains will be - is 7-165 the longest possible train with these stations?

 

[infobleep]

Chiltern have started to put their information up.

Interesting that they have agreed ticket acceptance, other operators are not doing this due to the nationwide strike and limited services.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Interesting that they have agreed ticket acceptance, other operators are not doing this due to the nationwide strike and limited services.

Both TOCs are Arriva.

 

[The Planner]

To what extent do platform lengths govern what stations can be served and how long the trains will be - is 7-165 the longest possible train with these stations?

Could be 6 or less in some cases.

 

[sammyg901]

To what extent do platform lengths govern what stations can be served and how long the trains will be - is 7-165 the longest possible train with these stations?

I can't see them putting out anything near max length, nor will they need too, services start too late/finish too early (some days) to be feasible for a typical Chiltern London commuter - pretty much everyone will be WFH

*I stand corrected - according to the app the Aylesbury Vale Parkway services are mainly 7 car (which I believe would be a first as it's max 6 via the Met?) and Banbury's are 5 (restricted en route somewhere - Denham Golf Club?)

 

[JamesT]

Anyone know why they're not serving Oxford on non-strike days?

 

[CyrusWuff]

Anyone know why they're not serving Oxford on non-strike days?

My guess would that it's mostly to keep unit mileage down, with a side order of it avoiding the only full barrier crossing on the route (namely London Road in Bicester.)

 

[sammyg901]

They amended the trains today due to a heat restriction (I believe on the single track from Princes Risborough to Aylesbury) .

They extended the Amersham shuttle to Aylesbury Vale Parkway and started the London Marylebone via High Wycombe at Aylesbury

This caused an unfortunate 56 minute connection at Aylesbury for London if you were coming from Aylesbury Vale Parkway or a much longer journey changing onto LU at Amersham

My guess would that it's mostly to keep unit mileage down, with a side order of it avoiding the only full barrier crossing on the route (namely London Road in Bicester.)

+ starting/ terminating at Aylesbury/Banbury/London is probably most simple as I don't believe there is anyone based at Oxford ?

 

[CyrusWuff]

+ starting/ terminating at Aylesbury/Banbury/London is probably most simple as I don't believe there is anyone based at Oxford ?

That too. Oxford's GWR territory.

 

[sammyg901]

Anyway was very handy for me, was late for an appointment in Bicester and knew I wouldn't get stuck at the crossing

 

[sammyg901]

Industrial Action - Update | Chiltern Railways

Chiltern Railways industrial action information 2023.

www.chilternrailways.co.uk

Chiltern have started to put up their info and it isn't pretty. Unless it's badly worded by my reading there will be nothing north of Banbury 13th Dec to 8th Jan. 13-14 + 16-17 will be the usual limited 8-4pm service (so useless for commuting) and Sunday 18th there will be no service at all. Many weeks away from the office for me!!

 

[philosopher]

Industrial Action - Update | Chiltern Railways

Chiltern Railways industrial action information 2023.

www.chilternrailways.co.uk

Chiltern have started to put up their info and it isn't pretty. Unless it's badly worded by my reading there will be nothing north of Banbury 13th Dec to 8th Jan. 13-14 + 16-17 will be the usual limited 8-4pm service (so useless for commuting) and Sunday 18th there will be no service at all. Many weeks away from the office for me!!

It seems almost like the railway industry have given up trying to run sensible service over this period. I can sort of understand the reduced service on the 15th December, but the no trains on the 18th and no trains north of Banbury for almost a month does seem bit excessive given most of these days do not actually have any strikes.

If most of the railway operators are going to operate similarly reduced services on the non strike days, the railway industry is going to have some extremely negative headlines over the next weeks as they will get blamed for ruining Christmas for a third year in a row. This will not be great for further railway revenue.

Perhaps someone with more knowledge could explain the reason why the timetable has been so pared down for such a long period of time.

 

[Watershed]

It seems almost like the railway industry have given up trying to run sensible service over this period. I can sort of understand the reduced service on the 15th December, but the no trains on the 18th and no trains north of Banbury for almost a month does seem bit excessive given most of these days do not actually have any strikes.

If most of the railway operators are going to operate similarly reduced services on the non strike days, the railway industry is going to have some extremely negative headlines over the next weeks as they will get blamed for ruining Christmas for a third year in a row. This will not be great for further railway revenue.

Perhaps someone with more knowledge could explain the reason why the timetable has been so pared down for such a long period of time.

That seems to be based on the plans for an overtime ban at NR. Now that this has been called off, I can't imagine that operators will still be operating a reduced timetable, outside of the strike days.

 

[172007]

So overnight Chiltern becomes full DOO assuming LHCS don't run.

 

[CentralTrainer]

just appeared in the Independent:

Rail strikes: Train firm cancels Midlands half of route network for nearly a month

Chiltern Railways will cut services to Stratford-upon-Avon, Kidderminster and Birmingham – though other train firms will continue

www.independent.co.uk

As members of the RMT union prepare for the next national rail strike, one leading train operator has announced it will close half its rail network as a result of industrial action – for 26 days in a row.

Chiltern Railways, which runs trains to and from London Marylebone station, will stop running on the Midlands part of its network from 13 December – when the next 48-hour strike begins – until 8 January inclusive.

For almost a month, no Chiltern services will run north of Banbury in Oxfordshire. The 24 stations affected include the important Birmingham stations of Snow Hill and Moor Street, as well as Kidderminster, Leamington Spa and Stratford-upon-Avon.

The stations will continue to be served by other operators, subject to industrial action.

A spokesperson for Chiltern said: “We are disappointed to have to reduce our services significantly over the festive period due to industrial action by the RMT, and wholeheartedly apologise for the disruption this will cause our customers at such an important time of the year.“

 

[Bletchleyite]

Presumably this is because most of the strikers are RMT guards, and so they can continue to operate their DOO network plus Bicester-Banbury using a small number of either managers or non-RMT guards?

One assumes the 68s won't be out!

What's the reason for the longer period, though - are they doing a lock-out of their guards? I thought the Network Rail "action short" had been cancelled.

 

[LowLevel]

Presumably this is because most of the strikers are RMT guards, and so they can continue to operate their DOO network plus Bicester-Banbury using a small number of either managers or non-RMT guards?

One assumes the 68s won't be out!

What's the reason for the longer period, though - are they doing a lock-out of their guards? I thought the Network Rail "action short" had been cancelled.

The Chiltern DOO network is all the way to Banbury.

 

[Bletchleyite]

The Chiltern DOO network is all the way to Banbury.

Ah, thanks. Didn't know that, thought it was Bicester. That makes more sense.

A lock-out, then? Interesting, that's certainly a huge escalation if so.

 

[Goldfish62]

Presumably this is because most of the strikers are RMT guards, and so they can continue to operate their DOO network plus Bicester-Banbury using a small number of either managers or non-RMT guards?

One assumes the 68s won't be out!

What's the reason for the longer period, though - are they doing a lock-out of their guards? I thought the Network Rail "action short" had been cancelled.

SWR are still stating severe disruption between 18 December and 3 January due to the RMT and TSSA overtime ban so perhaps while there's a general lifting of the action it's still continuing at individual companies.

 

[LowLevel]

Ah, thanks. Didn't know that, thought it was Bicester. That makes more sense.

A lock-out, then? Interesting, that's certainly a huge escalation if so.

Not so I've heard, I assume the guards will just have to sit spare on non strike days.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Not so I've heard, I assume the guards will just have to sit spare on non strike days.

How bizarre.

 

[Watershed]

Ah, thanks. Didn't know that, thought it was Bicester. That makes more sense.

A lock-out, then? Interesting, that's certainly a huge escalation if so.

If Chiltern really mean that (and they are still posting it on Twitter), they need to give a proper explanation, rather than the current non-commital "due to issues surrounding the strikes". Some pretty busy stations such as Warwick and Warwick Parkway will have barely any service for weeks.

 

[sammyg901]

Presumably the lack of trains north of Banbury is due to (potential) guard availability issues ?

I noticed they've now updated the Thursday to show that service will only operate ~0800 - 1600 too
[]

 

[The Planner]

If Chiltern really mean that (and they are still posting it on Twitter), they need to give a proper explanation, rather than the current non-commital "due to issues surrounding the strikes". Some pretty busy stations such as Warwick and Warwick Parkway will have barely any service for weeks.

Snow Hills in general is unlikely to have much if at all I would suggest.

 

[LowLevel]

How bizarre.

Been happening on EMR throughout. On the Regional side only Nottingham and Derby depots have had any work to do on strike days (whether they're NR, ASLEF, Unite or TOC depends on whether it's actual guards or managers doing the work). Lincoln, Boston and Norwich crews have been sat spare with nothing to do.

 

[OliverH68]

So overnight Chiltern becomes full DOO assuming LHCS don't run.

Yes as they're all stuck on the Brum end.

 

[800002]

Presumably the lack of trains north of Banbury is due to (potential) guard availability issues ?

[]

Would seem not. Guards is a moot issue if the units can't come off depot, with what was posted from the independent.

Rail strikes: Train firm cancels Midlands half of route network for nearly a month

Chiltern Railways will cut services to Stratford-upon-Avon, Kidderminster and Birmingham – though other train firms will continue

www.independent.co.uk

A little further down the page it read:
“In particular, it has forced us to close our train maintenance depots on Sunday 18 December, and as such, we will not be able to operate a service on this day. We have exhausted all options, and this is not a decision that has been taken lightly.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Would seem not. Guards is a moot issue if the units can't come off depot, with what was posted from the independent.

Rail strikes: Train firm cancels Midlands half of route network for nearly a month

Chiltern Railways will cut services to Stratford-upon-Avon, Kidderminster and Birmingham – though other train firms will continue

www.independent.co.uk

A little further down the page it read:
“In particular, it has forced us to close our train maintenance depots on Sunday 18 December, and as such, we will not be able to operate a service on this day. We have exhausted all options, and this is not a decision that has been taken lightly.

So are we saying that the Network Rail action short of a strike for most of December and into January that was allegedly cancelled is not, in fact, cancelled?

 

[87015]

So are we saying that the Network Rail action short of a strike for most of December and into January that was allegedly cancelled is not, in fact, cancelled?

It is cancelled.