Northern Strike Days

[ricoblade]

HNY All - I thought this would be easy to find out but apparently not!

I'm thinking of travelling Retford<>Sheffield on Saturday 12th January but am wary of strike days. Currently both the National Rail and Northern Apps will sell me tickets for this date but the NR App has a bulletin about potential strike days but nothing is confirmed beyond the 5th.

Has anyone got anything more definitive please?

 

[ForTheLoveOf]

HNY All - I thought this would be easy to find out but apparently not!

I'm thinking of travelling Retford<>Sheffield on Saturday 12th January but am wary of strike days. Currently both the National Rail and Northern Apps will sell me tickets for this date but the NR App has a bulletin about potential strike days but nothing is confirmed beyond the 5th.

Has anyone got anything more definitive please?

It's expected to be a strike day. However, if they haven't updated their timetables yet and are still selling tickets, go ahead and buy a ticket.

If/when the strike materialises, claim delay compensation for any delay you incur, and if they refuse to provide alternative transport, make your own arrangements and contact Northern to have this reimbursed.

 

[ainsworth74]

Expect to have an argument however if you wish to actually receive any of that money that has been outlined above. The position taken by Northern, and other TOCs, is that in this circumstance the strike timetable is the timetable and all compensation is calculated against that.

It will not be straight forward to claim Delay Repay and probably even less straight forward to get any extra costs reimbursed.

 

[ForTheLoveOf]

Expect to have an argument however if you wish to actually receive any of that money that has been outlined above. The position taken by Northern, and other TOCs, is that in this circumstance the strike timetable is the timetable and all compensation is calculated against that.

It will not be straight forward to claim Delay Repay and probably even less straight forward to get any extra costs reimbursed.

Indeed. This highlights the difference between the legal situation and what is often the practical situation.

There is now at least recourse to the Rail Ombudsman, however we have not heard back about any cases as it has only recently come into being. It is definitely worth trying them if you are getting nowhere with the TOC.

 

[ricoblade]

Thanks for the replies. I'm not interested in getting a ticket for a service that won't run, quite the opposite. Looks like it's Donny<>Sheff instead (though the last time I did this, the XC was cancelled!).

 

[Darandio]

It's expected to be a strike day. However, if they haven't updated their timetables yet and are still selling tickets, go ahead and buy a ticket.

If/when the strike materialises, claim delay compensation for any delay you incur, and if they refuse to provide alternative transport, make your own arrangements and contact Northern to have this reimbursed.

Yet as the OP is only thinking of travelling on that day, this suggests they don't need to make the journey so why advise them to go through all of the hassle associated with it? We know you are determined to stick it to the rail companies but i'm not sure you need to be recruiting others just to make a point.

Barring a miraculous breakthrough we know pretty much for certain there is going to be a strike that day and services will be affected. The best advice would be to not travel and avoid the hassle.

 

[ForTheLoveOf]

Yet as the OP is only thinking of travelling on that day, this suggests they don't need to make the journey so why advise them to go through all of the hassle associated with it? We know you are determined to stick it to the rail companies but i'm not sure you need to be recruiting others just to make a point.

Barring a miraculous breakthrough we know pretty much for certain there is going to be a strike that day and services will be affected. The best advice would be to not travel and avoid the hassle.

Expecting someone to uphold their end of the contract is recruiting others to stick it to the TOCs? Hmm, interesting conclusion!

Anyway, travelling on a strike day will inevitably involve hassle of some form or another. Some people are prepared to put up with that and would like to know what their rights are. Others, such as the OP here would prefer to avoid the hassle (which would be a hassle whether their rights are respected or not!), and that's entirely their own choice. I'm just giving them information so they can make an informed choice (and don't believe the TOC drivel about losing all those rights when the TOC has a strike!).

 

[Hadders]

It’s too early for any Ombudsman results given that they can only deal with cases after 25th November and you’ll need to go through the TOC process first.

Annoyingly I made a journey on 24th November which resulted in a delay of over an hour due to a Northern strike cancellation. I’ve submitted a delay repay claim but heard nothing, I expect compensation as the train on my itinerary didn’t not operate and despite Northern having my details (as I booked through their website) they didn’t even bother to contact me about the strike.

I’m no fan of GTR but one thing they got right during the shambles was the processing of delay repay claims. Never waited more than a fortnight, even in the height of the shambles and none rejected.

 

[ricoblade]

And as if by magic, all the tickets have disappeared...

 

[robbeech]

For the first couple of months there were 3 or 4 replacement buses per day between Lincoln and Sheffield but that hasn’t been the case for the last few months.
Retford to Sheffield used to be valid via Doncaster but no longer is due to the simplification of fares and routes.

It’s possible that other TOCs Will accept tickets on this historically permitted route during strike action.

 

[ricoblade]

Apologies for the bump but my next planned travel on this route is 2nd Feb. Currently showing on National Rail as a normal service with not even a bulletin to denote that it might be a strike day.

Has anyone got any gen as to the likelihood of strikes continuing into February please?

 

[trickyvegas]

Apologies for the bump but my next planned travel on this route is 2nd Feb. Currently showing on National Rail as a normal service with not even a bulletin to denote that it might be a strike day.

Has anyone got any gen as to the likelihood of strikes continuing into February please?

They're tending to confirm a full month of strikes in one go, I'd expect February strike dates to be announced in the next 10 days.

 

[Hadders]

I suspect strikes on Saturdays is nailed on for the foreseeable future.

 

[Starmill]

not even a bulletin to denote that it might be a strike day.

I don't think such warnings are ever provided.

I suspect strikes on Saturdays is nailed on for the foreseeable future.

This is highly likely, I agree.

They're tending to confirm a full month of strikes in one go, I'd expect February strike dates to be announced in the next 10 days.

If a strike is to be arranged for 2nd February, the company will, I think, be notified by the end of Friday.

I booked travel several weeks ago myself for 2nd February. I expect Northern to honour their contractual obligations, strike or no.

 

[robbeech]

I booked travel several weeks ago myself for 2nd February. I expect Northern to honour their contractual obligations, strike or no.

Oh yes, just like they have been so far. . . .

 

[Hadders]

I travelled back in November from London to Patricroft using a combination of tickets - Euston - Manchester Advance and Manchester - Patricroft Anytime Day Single. All booked in advance with appropriate itineraries. The Manchester - Patricroft train was cancelled due to the strike causing a delay of over an hour.

Submitted a delay repay claim to Northern. They have compensated me for the Manchester - Patricroft ticket (by hand written cheque!!!). I have escalated in respect of the Euston - Manchester ticket and await their response.

 

[ricoblade]

I don't think such warnings are ever provided.

Yes they are. When I checked my travel for last Saturday on the 1st Jan (as per my opening post) there were warnings about possible strike action displayed, though they were still selling tickets.

Bummer about the ongoing situation, I'm using up a lot of credit in getting lifts to/from Sheffield.

 

[ForTheLoveOf]

Yes they are. When I checked my travel for last Saturday on the 1st Jan (as per my opening post) there were warnings about possible strike action displayed, though they were still selling tickets.

Bummer about the ongoing situation, I'm using up a lot of credit in getting lifts to/from Sheffield.

It's one thing having warnings, but those are purely for customer services purposes so that people aren't surprised. The warnings don't mean Northern have the right to unilaterally turn around and say they don't feel like fulfilling the contract any more (which is the effect they seem to think the warnings have).

 

[Starmill]

Yes they are. When I checked my travel for last Saturday on the 1st Jan (as per my opening post) there were warnings about possible strike action displayed, though they were still selling tickets.

Strike action was confirmed by that point. For dates in February and onwards, action is merely speculated upon, for now at least. It's the latter I've never seen a warning about.

 

[Killingworth]

It certainly is a bummer. I'm hearing stories of less frequent rail users turning up at the station for trains they expect to catch, possibly having relied on memory or the displayed timetable on the station, and only then discovering there are no Saturday trains. Readers here may find it hard to believe but many still don't know about the strikes.

The walker unable to get to that country walk. The old lady with shopping bag looking forward to her annual trip to Manchester. The car less dad told by his daughter to get the hourly train up to her place in Hope - no hope of that today from Dore! The quick 7 minute train into Sheffield a no show, so go for the 30 minute bus alternative. And that's just some specific ones I know about. Those who've aborted and changed travel plans must now be into hundreds of thousands and all for what? Stalemate!

We've debated all that too many times already and got absolutely and totally - nowhere. Nothing more can be added, but it's certainly not attracting new custom to the railway.