VTWC strike travel disruption info/advice

[142blue]

https://www.virgintrains.co.uk/strike

No shop
No trolley
No first class catering
Potentially no ticket office

 

[Mag_seven]

https://www.virgintrains.co.uk/strike

No shop
No trolley
No first class catering
Potentially no ticket office

Just like a normal Saturday night then.

 

[FQTV]

https://www.virgintrains.co.uk/strike

No shop
No trolley
No first class catering
Potentially no ticket office

Welcome: to Virgin Trains East Coast day in, day out .

 

[Starmill]

You will only be able to buy tickets from Ticket Vending Machines (not from one of our members of staff) at stations where Virgin Trains operate the ticket offices. This will limit the tickets available to peak and off-peak walk-up fares.

Erm, no it won't...

If our ticket offices are closed it may not be possible to pay for your tickets using cash. We recommend you bring a debit or credit card with you on the day.

What? I decline your kind offer to pay by card. Anything else?

 

[All Line Rover]

If the information on that page is to be believed, Wilmslow will have no service at all and, of the 06:28, 06:53, 07:17 and 07:57 departures from Crewe to London, the only one that will run is the 06:53 (a 5-car Voyager). Remarkable. Why run 2tph via Stoke when the usual practice is to drop 1tph via Stoke and continue running 1ph via Wilmslow, serving Crewe and (via a short connecting train) Chester in the process?

 

[Qwerty133]

If the information on that page is to be believed, Wilmslow will have no service at all and, of the 06:28, 06:53, 07:17 and 07:57 departures from Crewe to London, the only one that will run is the 06:53 (a 5-car Voyager). Remarkable. Why run 2tph via Stoke when the usual practice is to drop 1tph via Stoke and continue running 1ph via Wilmslow, serving Crewe and (via a short connecting train) Chester in the process?

Probably sending everything the same way to minimise the level of route 'knowledge' required by the people acting as guards

 

[theironroad]

Erm, no it won't...



What? I decline your kind offer to pay by card. Anything else?

Could be an interesting one if someone decided to pursue it.

If someone turns up at the station and only has cash as a means of payment, then I don't really see how they could be refused travel if the ticket machines can't or won't accept cash.

 

[Starmill]

As long as the customer offers a valid method of payment at the first opportunity to buy...

 

[Bletchleyite]

Could be an interesting one if someone decided to pursue it.

If someone turns up at the station and only has cash as a means of payment, then I don't really see how they could be refused travel if the ticket machines can't or won't accept cash.

I don't think they can, but VT clearly want to avoid as many people as possible not paying, which is going to be the effect otherwise.

 

[RAPC]

Thanks for the heads up on this. We usually have circa 50 seats per week between the north and London for our company, so I have shared this to try to keep everyone well away from any non-essential travel.

They haven't updated their booking engine to reflect the revised timetable and they certainly haven't changed the 1st class pricing to reflect any lack of service so far.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Are they using the 2 track contingency timetable (i.e. 20-40 minute intervals from Euston) or are they actually rejigging to genuine half hourly?

 

[matt]

Can we keep this thread to the amended travel arrangements for Virgin rather than the rights or wrongs of the strike. Thanks.

 

[ForTheLoveOf]

Is there any timetable out there showing what trains will/will not be running? This may affect my commute and I need to be able to plan alternatives if the train is indeed cancelled.

 

[Starmill]

they certainly haven't changed the 1st class pricing to reflect any lack of service so far.

I wouldn't expect them to. You wouldn't be entitled to any compensation afterwards either. Thus I would be surprised if First Class offers good value during the strikes.

 

[gazthomas]

As ever the Cinderella part of the franchise (i.e. takes a lot to resource and probably contributes little), the North Wales line will barely see a service

 

[TheDavibob]

In a similar boat to @ForTheLoveOf - any way of knowing which trains are still running? The one I'm booked on next Friday evening is still on searches, but I don't know if this is the pre-strike timetable or not.

 

[Starmill]

No temporary timetable appears to have been uploaded to me.

 

[RAPC]

I wouldn't expect them to. You wouldn't be entitled to any compensation afterwards either. Thus I would be surprised if First Class offers good value during the strikes.

Public rates haven't changed, but via our corporate account we have been told that we will get discounts at a set rate on 1st class travel. It looks like it will be retrospective though, presumably in case strikes are suspended at short notice etc and they do run a full service.

 

[dk1]

Probably sending everything the same way to minimise the level of route 'knowledge' required by the people acting as guards

Sounds about right. On GA the 'PUGs stick to one route only.

 

[gordonthemoron]

So I think taxi from Radbroke to Macclesfield will be in order on 26/1/18 rather than Crewe

 

[Class83]

As ever the Cinderella part of the franchise (i.e. takes a lot to resource and probably contributes little), the North Wales line will barely see a service

It's doing better than Birmingham/NW to Edinburgh which has been completely abandoned. Given it's the Friday before Christmas that's going to make Transpennine-Scotland very busy from Preston northbound.

 

[meolebrace]

What is the probability strikes will be called off?

 

[142blue]

No discussion to the best of my knowledge

 

[Mathew S]

According to info from the VTWC Twitter account, strike timetables will be released at midnight tonight (Friday/Saturday).

 

[142blue]

Times are in NRE journey planner

 

[Mathew S]

Times are in NRE journey planner

Not all of them. I'm still getting original timetables when I search a few seconds ago (Wigan - Sandwell).

 

[blue87]

The Real time trains site seems to have amended times for VTWC services for this Friday.

 

[Mathew S]

The Real time trains site seems to have amended times for VTWC services for this Friday.

Still not showing in NRE. Presumably they'll be in tomorrow, if the system updates overnight which I think is what happens. I'm sure someone more knowledgeable than me can correct me on that if I'm wrong.

Edit: I stand corrected, they are on NRE, but the disruption information page still says they are only showing the original timetable. Sigh.

 

[142blue]

Anyone travelling today?

 

[radamfi]

There is a contradiction between

https://www.virgintrains.co.uk/strike

London - Chester and the North Wales Coast: Apart from the 04.48 Holyhead to London service and the return at 17.10, we will not serve Chester and North Wales. There is a replacement bus service between Chester and Crewe, and Arriva Trains Wales will accept tickets between Chester and North Wales stations. Alternatively your ticket will be valid the day before or the day after or you can also apply for a full refund (free of charge).

and

http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/service_disruptions/177767.aspx

London - Chester and the North Wales Coast: Please take a Virgin Trains service to Crewe for onward travel. If you have a Virgin-only ticket please travel the day before or the day after as Arriva Trains Wales will not accept your ticket to travel beyond Crewe. You can also apply for a full refund (free of charge).