Tube Strike 6th August, Help please

[ausrom]

As luck would have it, I'm arriving at Heathrow on Thursday 6th August, the day of the tube strike. I have booked my onward journey to Grantham from Kings Cross two hours after I arrive. I have tried to tweet/Facebook Heathrow express asking if their trains are running, as I can obviously book online with a bit of a discount. If the Heathrow Express or the Underground is not running, and I have to rely on buses, I'm hoping I'll make my next train, otherwise I'll be liable for a walk up fare. My questions are: Are the airport trains affected, has any body experienced the situation earlier this month and how much time would I need to get to Kings Cross by bus, and, if so, if I miss my booked fare to Grantham, am I entitled to some sort of compensation if matters were completely out of my control? Thank you in advance for any help!

 

[cjohnson]

Heathrow Express trains should still be running - as explicitly stated on their website - although will likely be busier than usual.

What ticket do you have to Grantham? Assuming it's an Advance from King's Cross to Grantham, then you would be out of luck if you missed it - similar situation to if your flight into Heathrow arrived two hours late.

(Actually some might say leaving only two hours from landing at Heathrow to get to King's Cross is pushing it - takes an hour on the Piccadilly to get there, so that only gives another hour leeway to clear security, baggage and any delays!)

 

[455driver]

(Actually some might say leaving only two hours from landing at Heathrow to get to King's Cross is pushing it - takes an hour on the Piccadilly to get there, so that only gives another hour leeway to clear security, baggage and any delays!)

Plus delays to the flight itself.
Me personally I recommend to anyone using the train after arriving on a flight to book the train using a flexible ticket and not a restrictive advance ticket which might only be a few pounds cheaper. Of course let's not get into buying a bargain basement cheap train ticket (which might not be valid if your plane is delayed and all the stress involved) after you have shelled out a lot of money on plane tickets/a holiday is rather silly to my mind, whereas buying an off peak/flexible ticket would mean that the stress element is removed and the ticket might only be a few quid more.

 

[ausrom]

Thank you both, 455driver & cjohnson for your replies. I will take the Heathrow Express then and try to figure out how to get to Kings Cross from there. I appreciate your help! (and next time will buy a flexible fare)

 

[ooo]

Thank you both, 455driver & cjohnson for your replies. I will take the Heathrow Express then and try to figure out how to get to Kings Cross from there. I appreciate your help! (and next time will buy a flexible fare)

From Paddington to Kings Cross there are many buses (I think it is number 205) however these will be very busy during the tube strike.

 

[ainsworth74]

Depending on your luggage situation and how long it takes you to get to Paddington (plus the weather!) it may also be an option to walk from Paddington to Kings Cross if worst comes to the worst.

 

[gray1404]

Yes, 2 hours is pushing it but if you don't have an baggage to reclaim and your flight is on time it should be ok. What is the easiest way to travel from Paddington to Kings Cross?

 

[ausrom]

Actually I have 2 and half hours, I arrive at 10 and my train is 12.35, I think I might walk as you suggest ainsworth74, I checked on the route planner and it says it takes about an hour, but I'm a pretty good walker and I will only have a median/small wheely bag, I think it will be faster than catching a bus or taxi and the weather looks good! Again, thank you for your help!

 

[nicobobinus]

IMO you should be ok, but be prepared for crowd control scenes at Paddington for buses and expect that to eat up some time. If you're getting into Paddington at around 11am you should be ok with the worst of the morning rush having subsided. Buses will be busy but not unboardable, roads will be slow but not gridlocked. The 205 is one of those routes that gets extras put out on a strike day.

 

[ausrom]

Oh that's good to know nicobobinus, thank you for that information!

 

[cav1975]

IMO you should be ok, but be prepared for crowd control scenes at Paddington for buses and expect that to eat up some time. If you're getting into Paddington at around 11am you should be ok with the worst of the morning rush having subsided. Buses will be busy but not unboardable, roads will be slow but not gridlocked. The 205 is one of those routes that gets extras put out on a strike day.

Don't forget that you can not pay cash for the bus fare. You will need an Oyster card or a contactless payment card.

 

[PermitToTravel]

Many of the 205 extras won't be taking fares

 

[gray1404]

and if you can avoid checking in a bag onto the plane (hand carry only) that will save time. I believe the contactless cards have to be UK issued. Personally, I would arrive at Paddington and see what the situation is on the buses. If I can board one quick then great, otherwise I'd walk. Good luck!

Are the TOCs kind with their goodwill in terms of people missing their advance trains due to the tube strikes and allowing customers onto the next service? Might be useful to know in case of delays (flight) or anything.

 

[CyrusWuff]

Are the TOCs kind with their goodwill in terms of people missing their advance trains due to the tube strikes and allowing customers onto the next service? Might be useful to know in case of delays (flight) or anything.

I would hazard a guess that normal rules will apply, officially at least, so if it's the start of your journey and you miss it, tough, but if it's mid-journey and there's a cross-London transfer involved, you'll be passed on the next train.

Some TOCs may be more flexible, of course...

 

[Starmill]

I suppose the problem really is a flexible single from Kings Cross to Grantham is £47.60. If you need to travel between 1555 and 1900 that rises to £60. It's only 100 miles - how much is peace of mind really worth?

 

[Greenback]

It's a question of the balance between risk and reward, and the decision will vary depending on the attitude of the individual. I am a cautious person, and, as an example, I wouldn't risk losing a £50 fare in order to save £15, but others may well see that as acceptable specially if they deem the risk of losing the £50 low.

IN this case, should the flight arrive on time, and no unexpected difficulties getting through the arrival formalities, then 2 hours and 35 minutes to get off the plane and on to a train at Kings Cross is doable, but there's very little margin for things going wrong.

Due to being the person I am, I'd much rather err on the side of caution and leave a longer period between touch down and train departure, even if it costs more. I'd prefer to be sitting having a drink or snack somewhere than rushing and panicking about missing a train or flight.

 

[STPBTN]

and if you can avoid checking in a bag onto the plane (hand carry only) that will save time. I believe the contactless cards have to be UK issued.

TfL accept contactless cards issued outside the UK as well:
https://tfl.gov.uk/fares-and-payments/contactless/what-are-contactless-payment-cards#outside

 

[island]

I agree with all the above. If you get to Paddington before your Virgin train's scheduled departure but late enough that you have no chance of making it across in time, go to the Paddington booking office and get your advance ticket excessed up to a flexible fare. This costs £10 plus the fare difference.

 

[ausrom]

Interesting. I didn't know I could do that. Thanks for the advice. I will certainly take that into consideration. I shall keep you all updated with my eventual progress, thank you all again for help!

 

[Haywain]

Worth bearing in mind that the 205 runs every 8 minutes and takes 25 minutes, so even on a good day (which Thursday won't be) you need to be allowing about 35 minutes for the bus journey. Walking will take 45 minutes at best (I did 40 minutes to St Pancras in the last strike with no luggage, and I walk fairly fast), but you will need to be allowing a bit more. If I were to get to Paddington with less than an hour to spare on Thursday I would be looking to get the ticket changed so I could relax.

 

[Greenback]

I would also look at taking island's advice if things are looking a bit tight time wise.

 

[PermitToTravel]

Yes, that's very good advice. If Paddington station don't want to do it (that's not a brilliant ticket office) then Marylebone is nearby (and is a brilliant ticket office).

 

[bussnapperwm]

Worth bearing in mind that the 205 runs every 8 minutes and takes 25 minutes, so even on a good day (which Thursday won't be) you need to be allowing about 35 minutes for the bus journey. Walking will take 45 minutes at best (I did 40 minutes to St Pancras in the last strike with no luggage, and I walk fairly fast), but you will need to be allowing a bit more. If I were to get to Paddington with less than an hour to spare on Thursday I would be looking to get the ticket changed so I could relax.

In my experience from the last tube strike, the bus is looking at over a hour journey from Marylebone to Kings Cross so add an extra 20 minutes onto that and Paddington trips on the 205 were running to adjustments on it (at one stage there was a gap of 25 mins in the service. Just as a fair warning that is.

Also buses were accepting tube tickets at the time.

 

[Starmill]

That's great advice, it should come to £47.60 + £10 - £what you've already paid. I think that's the best you can hope for really.

If your journey does cost extra, I would also make a complaint to London Underground about it. Although they aren't obliged to compensate you.

 

[PermitToTravel]

They won't compensate you or change anything in response to such a complaint.

 

[Starmill]

So? They need to know that industrial action causes increased costs for the travelling public, and that they should sort it out. If people don't tell them, they won't know that.

 

[gray1404]

Its a shame the TOCs are not more understanding of people missing their booked services on Advances when the tube is on strike. Not good.

 

[island]

Its a shame the TOCs are not more understanding of people missing their booked services on Advances when the tube is on strike. Not good.

What evidence is there that this is the case?

 

[Greenback]

In this case I'm not sure that the tube strike is that much of a factor. I don't think that the OP has left sufficient time to make a specific train, given all the possibilities for delay, including a later arrival of the flight.

As I mentioned earlier, I wouldn't have been happy with such a small margin for error, even if there was no industrial action taking place.

 

[PermitToTravel]

So? They need to know that industrial action causes increased costs for the travelling public, and that they should sort it out. If people don't tell them, they won't know that.

They... know that...