Nuneaton to Euston on Saturday 29 July (RMT Strike day)

[bnsf734]

I need to travel Nuneaton to Euston on Saturday 30 July 2023, and am aware that RMT have just called a strike for that day. I will be there for a few days so only looking at one way travel.

I have not got a ticket yet and can travel either by LNWR at 0711, Avanti at 0711 or another Avanti at 0730. The Railforums ticket engine offers me an LNWR Advance for the 0711 but Avanti have no advances for that day at the moment, but say on their website that they are coming soon when they know what services they can run.

If I bought an Advance on LNWR on the 0711 and it is cancelled but the Avanti trains run can I use the advance on the Avanti trains or any other train to get me to London, eg via Coventry, Leicester via EMT if they are running. I don't particularly want to travel Friday as that will mean another nights hotel at £100+ (payable by me) and have booked to work on Saturday after I arrive.

Any advice please?

Calvin

 

[Mcr Warrior]

Wouldn't a £37.80 off peak single (route "not via Cov/Bhm") potentially give you more flexibility?

Can be used on either Avanti or West Midland Trains, so just jump on the first one running to Euston on 29th July.

 

[30907]

I need to travel Nuneaton to Euston on Saturday 30 July 2023, and am aware that RMT have just called a strike for that day. I will be there for a few days so only looking at one way travel.

I have not got a ticket yet and can travel either by LNWR at 0711, Avanti at 0711 or another Avanti at 0730. The Railforums ticket engine offers me an LNWR Advance for the 0711 but Avanti have no advances for that day at the moment, but say on their website that they are coming soon when they know what services they can run.

If I bought an Advance on LNWR on the 0711 and it is cancelled but the Avanti trains run can I use the advance on the Avanti trains or any other train to get me to London, eg via Coventry, Leicester via EMT if they are running. I don't particularly want to travel Friday as that will mean another nights hotel at £100+ (payable by me) and have booked to work on Saturday after I arrive.

Any advice please?

Calvin

It's 29 July BTW.

If LNWR don't run at all, your ticket will be valid on the previous or following day (or whatever..) which isn't what you want.
I wouldn't bank on being allowed to travel with another operator, even though theoretically it ought to be permitted by EU legislation which we have adopted.

 

[P Binnersley]

No details of services for the current strike dates have been announced yet.

Looking at Saturday 13th May, which was also an RMT strike date, the only trains running at Nuneaton were Cross-Country to from Birmingham with the first train at 07:15. which connected into the 08:17 Avanti to London Euston (arr 10:15).

You might be better off looking at a bus to Coventry or Leicester and then coach to London (note: The Coventry Megabus stop is near Warwick University, not the city centre).

 

[Benjwri]

Would it not be worth buying the cheapest advance now? That way you secure the cheapest price on a train you are okay with taking, then if it gets cancelled/removed you can claim a fee free refund, and be none the worse than if you didn’t buy it in the first place.

 

[Watershed]

I need to travel Nuneaton to Euston on Saturday 30 July 2023, and am aware that RMT have just called a strike for that day. I will be there for a few days so only looking at one way travel.

I have not got a ticket yet and can travel either by LNWR at 0711, Avanti at 0711 or another Avanti at 0730. The Railforums ticket engine offers me an LNWR Advance for the 0711 but Avanti have no advances for that day at the moment, but say on their website that they are coming soon when they know what services they can run.

If I bought an Advance on LNWR on the 0711 and it is cancelled but the Avanti trains run can I use the advance on the Avanti trains or any other train to get me to London, eg via Coventry, Leicester via EMT if they are running. I don't particularly want to travel Friday as that will mean another nights hotel at £100+ (payable by me) and have booked to work on Saturday after I arrive.

Any advice please?

Calvin

LNR don't run any services to Nuneaton on strike days, nor do Avanti. CrossCountry will be the only operator serving the station, on their route between Birmingham and Leicester.

If you buy an Advance on LNR or Avanti, XC will therefore be obliged to let you to travel with them under condition 28.2 of the NRCoT. Moreover you'd be entitled to have LNR/Avanti re-route you at the earliest opportunity, i.e. using XC and EMR/Avanti via Birmingham or Leicester.

Those are your legal entitlements, anyway. In practice, social media or customer services staff from the relevant TOCs will lie to you and tell you that your only option is to travel on another day when there are LNR/Avanti services. But on the ground, you'll probably find that pragmatism is applied; in any event, contingency guards are highly unlikely to be checking tickets and most barrier staff will be on strike!