My aged parents (not quite so aged as to need passenger assistance, but the smoother their journey the better) are booked on the 'Highland Chieftan' from Stirling to King's Cross on Saturday 29th October, when it's now been announced that RMT members at Scotrail are having another strike (not that you'd know it from https://www.nationalrail.co.uk/service_disruptions/industrialaction.aspx, but that's not what this thread is about).
Does anyone know whether it's a safe assumption that LNER's train will be unaffected, or does its calling at Stirling depend on the presence of RMT-member Scotrail staff? What staff (if any) are likely to be at Stirling (and will the toilets be open)?
(RTT indicates that on the October 10th, the last RMT strike day on Scotrail, the northbound 'Chieftan' ran but not the southbound).
RTT and the Scotrail website also indicate that on Oct. 10th the only Scotrail trains to Edinburgh were from Glasgow via Bathgate, so if the same happens on the 29th, the 'Chieftan' will be the only train south from Stirling, and therefore the last train of the day. If it is also cancelled (as I gather happens sometimes*), is it likely that LNER would provide any alternative transport, or refund the cost of a taxi to Edinburgh? Or is there a risk that they would use the 'timetable of the day' excuse to evade their responsibilities?
*Does anyone know how reliable it is? RTT shows the soutbound working as having run on 7 of the past 9 days, the exceptions when it doesn't appear at all, even as cancelled, being Mon. 10th (Scotrail strike) and Saturday 15th (ECML blockade south of Edinburgh).
Does anyone know whether it's a safe assumption that LNER's train will be unaffected, or does its calling at Stirling depend on the presence of RMT-member Scotrail staff? What staff (if any) are likely to be at Stirling (and will the toilets be open)?
(RTT indicates that on the October 10th, the last RMT strike day on Scotrail, the northbound 'Chieftan' ran but not the southbound).
RTT and the Scotrail website also indicate that on Oct. 10th the only Scotrail trains to Edinburgh were from Glasgow via Bathgate, so if the same happens on the 29th, the 'Chieftan' will be the only train south from Stirling, and therefore the last train of the day. If it is also cancelled (as I gather happens sometimes*), is it likely that LNER would provide any alternative transport, or refund the cost of a taxi to Edinburgh? Or is there a risk that they would use the 'timetable of the day' excuse to evade their responsibilities?
*Does anyone know how reliable it is? RTT shows the soutbound working as having run on 7 of the past 9 days, the exceptions when it doesn't appear at all, even as cancelled, being Mon. 10th (Scotrail strike) and Saturday 15th (ECML blockade south of Edinburgh).