Northern strike timetables

[MP393]

I think (correct me if I'm wrong) that at Wilmslow, Northern services are dispatched solely by the guard, but Pendolinos and Voyagers are dispatched with the assistance of platform staff. If there are no available station staff who are competent as dispatchers (which there may well not be, if station staff are striking also) then what solution is there other than services that require them simply not calling there?

That might not be the singular reason not to call at Wilmslow, but I imagine it will be a contributing factor if station staff are on strike.

Just for clarification, Northern services are also dispatched by station staff at Wilmslow except on Platform 1 (Styal, Down Direction) There is no RA used for Northern units but there is for 390s.

 

[jfollows]

Just for clarification, Northern services are also dispatched by station staff at Wilmslow except on Platform 1 (Styal, Down Direction) There is no RA used for Northern units but there is for 390s.

Thank you. I have created a new thread for Avanti strike timetables now at Avanti strike timetables

 

[td97]

It doesn't seem beyond the realms of possibility to operate an hourly Bolton - Oxford Road shuttle, formed from a double 331 stabled overnight at Bolton, especially given that the route is open for TPE. Lots of students and NHS workers use that route

 

[Fokx]

Especially given that the route is open for TPE

Are we sure that’s actually the case?

TPE may use the Chat Moss

 

[30907]

Ironically, the pupils of Bradford Grammar get their 1620 homeward train to Ilkley which was bustituted in the May cuts

 

[Watershed]

Are we sure that’s actually the case?

TPE may use the Chat Moss

It will be open. It would be pointless trying to run over the Chat Moss as there wouldn't be enough drivers that sign the route, even for the handful of trains that will be running.

 

[yorksrob]

On the subject of the "do not travel between 21st and 26th" advice, we know that trains will be out of place suite to the strikes the day before. But how long does it take to get a train from, say Sheffield back to Manchester or Halifax to Hull, and how does this justify "do not travel" on a non strike day ?

 

[175001]

The in-between strike timetables are appearing on the site now.

 

[windingroad]

While I know nobody will be able to give a definite answer, can anyone give an educated view on how likely they think they strikes are to go ahead? I need to travel on the Thursday.

 

[jfollows]

While I know nobody will be able to give a definite answer, can anyone give an educated view on how likely they think they strikes are to go ahead? I need to travel on the Thursday.

Everything I have read recently says there’s little chance of stopping the strikes, I am assuming they will happen. But nothing is guaranteed.

 

[windingroad]

Everything I have read recently says there’s little chance of stopping the strikes, I am assuming they will happen. But nothing is guaranteed.

Thank you. Unfortunately I'm in one of the areas with no service at all, so could be an interesting week.

 

[Watershed]

While I know nobody will be able to give a definite answer, can anyone give an educated view on how likely they think they strikes are to go ahead? I need to travel on the Thursday.

It is now too late to revert to a pre-strike timetable on the Tuesday and probably the Wednesday. The deadline for the Thursday will be fast approaching.

 

[windingroad]

It is now too late to revert to a pre-strike timetable on the Tuesday and probably the Wednesday. The deadline for the Thursday will be fast approaching.

Thanks for the information. Do you know roughly at which point I will know for sure that the Thursday timetables are set in stone either way?

 

[Starmill]

Thanks for the information. Do you know roughly at which point I will know for sure that the Thursday timetables are set in stone either way?

It could vary slightly depending in your specific journey and operator but once you're about four days out there's essentially no hope. Small scale changes can be planned closer to the time than that but obviously this isn't small scale.

 

[87015]

It is now too late to revert to a pre-strike timetable on the Tuesday and probably the Wednesday. The deadline for the Thursday will be fast approaching.

Northern i presume? Each operator has given rollback deadlines, the proactive ones are 1230 day before, which is also what NRs cut off is - national picture is certainly not thats its now too late.

(That would be to the full timetable incl pre-existing STP amendments)

 

[Starmill]

Northern i presume? Each operator has given rollback deadlines, the proactive ones are 1230 day before, which is also what NRs cut off is - national picture is certainly not thats its now too late.

(That would be to the full timetable incl pre-existing STP amendments)

How can you possibly roll back that late without knowing for certain that every operator will do so? If Avanti tried to reinstate for example but the FOCs didn't, or indeed the vice versa, they would have clashes all day long and it would be totally unmanageable. Neither will be able to deliver a service of any value to their customers in that situation.

 

[jfollows]

While I know nobody will be able to give a definite answer, can anyone give an educated view on how likely they think they strikes are to go ahead? I need to travel on the Thursday.

As I see it, and I'm just an interested observer, I am no part of our railway system or our government, is that the unions are fighting a proxy battle with the government, and the railway companies are in the middle. The government has put out strong statements along the lines of "nothing to do with us", and although that might be a technicality it's clearly more about making political capital for the moment. The railway companies feel that they're limited in their action by the purse strings controlled by the government.

So, again it's just a personal view with no inside knowledge, this is heading fairly irrevocably to the showdown of the strikes, and I don't see anyone backing down before the first day at least, and probably not until after the third day. After which there will be reflection and compromise by all parties, but to what effect remains to be seen.

So I'd totally expect the strikes to go ahead unless one party cracks in its determination before then, which on current observation doesn't seem likely to me.

 

[Ianigsy]

I suspect that on both sides there's probably an incentive not to blink first. Network Rail and the TOCs won't want to be seen to be giving in at the first threat of a strike and if the RMT's position is as good as they think it is, they might not want to throw it away by accepting the first offer.

 

[87015]

How can you possibly roll back that late without knowing for certain that every operator will do so? If Avanti tried to reinstate for example but the FOCs didn't, or indeed the vice versa, they would have clashes all day long and it would be totally unmanageable. Neither will be able to deliver a service of any value to their customers in that situation.

We are in the business of running trains, not wiggling fingers saying that’s a bit much like hard work. Regulation policy will sort the day and having a delayed service is far better than not bothering for our customers (and no doubt other operators customers when they don’t bother)

 

[Geochemwill]

I’ve got an advance single Manchester to Windermere on the 23rd, for an event on the 25th. Clearly that service is not happening anymore, but I’m hoping there is at least some service on the Lakes Line and I can use my ticket to travel on 22nd or 24th. Northern website seems to imply I must travel on 20, 26 or 27. Lots of fingers crossed!

 

[Watershed]

I’ve got an advance single Manchester to Windermere on the 23rd, for an event on the 25th. Clearly that service is not happening anymore, but I’m hoping there is at least some service on the Lakes Line and I can use my ticket to travel on 22nd or 24th. Northern website seems to imply I must travel on 20, 26 or 27. Lots of fingers crossed!

The timetables for the 22nd and 24th are on Northern's website. The first train to Windermere will arrive at 10:41 but the timetables contradict each other as to whether that starts at Preston or Manchester Airport. I would wait until the revised services start showing in journey planners to be sure.

 

[northernchris]

Northern's timetables for the days following a strike are much better than feared

 

[Geochemwill]

The timetables for the 22nd and 24th are on Northern's website. The first train to Windermere will arrive at 10:41 but the timetables contradict each other as to whether that starts at Preston or Manchester Airport. I would wait until the revised services start showing in journey planners to be sure.

Thank you, I couldn’t get the link from the website to work on my iPad, but this is reassuring and it does indeed seem a much better service than feared, although I’m sure we can expect some last minute cancellations. Now timetables are being updated, I hope it will become clearer whether advance tickets for journeys on strike days will be accepted on 22 and 24, not just 20, 26 and 27.

 

[Watershed]

Thank you, I couldn’t get the link from the website to work on my iPad, but this is reassuring and it does indeed seem a much better service than feared, although I’m sure we can expect some last minute cancellations. Now timetables are being updated, I hope it will become clearer whether advance tickets for journeys on strike days will be accepted on 22 and 24, not just 20, 26 and 27.

You have the right to make your journey at a different time or date when a delay of more than an hour is anticipated (as would be the case on a strike day with no services or replacements), so the answer would have to be yes.

 

[JRT]

The in-between strike timetables are appearing on the site now.

All West Yorkshire routes appear to start around 07:15 on the Wednesday and Friday, however this means a late start for Carlisle/Morecambe back to Leeds.

 

[Ianigsy]

Northern's timetables for the days following a strike are much better than feared

They seem to have been fairly shrewd in that 3/4 of the services they’re running will be using EMUs, so most of their DMUs will either be sitting on shed fuelled and ready to go, or stabled where they would have been at the end of Monday’s service anyway.

 

[northernchris]

They seem to have been fairly shrewd in that 3/4 of the services they’re running will be using EMUs, so most of their DMUs will either be sitting on shed fuelled and ready to go, or stabled where they would have been at the end of Monday’s service anyway.

Indeed, Northern seem to have planned this well given the circumstances. With the do not travel advice and services finishing much earlier in the afternoon comment I thought the inbetween strike day timetable may have not been much of an increase on the strike day schedule

 

[pemma]

Regarding Stockport it's been decided they'll take advantage of the strike days to undertake work at the station.

Northern's timetables for the days following a strike are much better than feared

I disagree. As I mentioned in the strike thread Congleton doesn't get a Manchester bound service until 10:10. Yet Avanti services pass through the station from 08:00. While they were warning us some early services may not operate, they weren't saying services would start up around 3 hours late. In the case of Congleton the first 9 services of the day won't operate. It's similar with other lines out of Manchester, which will mean school and college pupils won't be able to use the train on the non-strike days. (With the exception of those in years 11 & 13 sitting exams who only have an afternoon exam on those particular days).

On the Stoke line there's also random afternoon services missing meaning a 2 hourly service at times, instead of hourly. For example, there's no 14:25 to Stoke or 15:10 to Manchester.

 

[northernchris]

Regarding Stockport it's been decided they'll take advantage of the strike days to undertake work at the station.



I disagree. As I mentioned in the strike thread Congleton doesn't get a Manchester bound service until 10:10. Yet Avanti services pass through the station from 08:00. While they were warning us some early services may not operate, they weren't saying services would start up around 3 hours late. In the case of Congleton the first 9 services of the day won't operate. It's similar with other lines out of Manchester, which will mean school and college pupils won't be able to use the train on the non-strike days. (With the exception of those in years 11 & 13 sitting exams who only have an afternoon exam on those particular days).

On the Stoke line there's also random afternoon services missing meaning a 2 hourly service at times, instead of hourly. For example, there's no 14:25 to Stoke or 15:10 to Manchester.

I agree it's not perfect, but with Northern hinting at trains winding down from the afternoon, I was expecting a similar hours of operation as a strike day. I'd looked at the 2 routes I use the most, Airedale and Calder Valley and both are running at a good frequency (post morning peak) with trains running until late in the day. Not really sure why there's a do not travel advice on these days, maybe a check before you travel would be more appropriate given the level of service running.

 

[Gricer99]

Why are the morning peak trains not running on Wednesday and Friday? Surely they can just pick up where they left off on the pre strike day?