Rail Delivery Group

Rail services during potential national rail strike
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2015-02-16 2013-14 Rail Industry Financials (ORR, 2015)

date 21 May 2015
source Rail Delivery Group
type Press release

The rail industry has published information about the level of service passengers can expect in the event of a national rail strike on Monday 25 and Tuesday 26 May.

Talks between Network Rail and the unions are continuing but, should the industrial action go ahead, there is likely to be severe disruption to rail services on Monday 25 and Tuesday 26 May.

A limited service will operate until the afternoon on Monday 25 May on some routes, but there will be no service on other routes.

Very few trains will operate on Tuesday 26 May and most routes will be without any service at all. Train services that do operate are likely to be extremely busy.

A summary of the services that we expect to operate can be found at www.nationalrail.co.uk/industrialaction/.

Passengers should check with the relevant train operator and National Rail Enquiries about the services they plan to run, but in the event of industrial action customers are generally advised to avoid travelling on the Monday 25 and Tuesday 26 May.

Finalised timetables for the 25 and 26 May will be made available as soon as possible, but this is unlikely to be before Saturday 23 May or Sunday 24 May.

Plans for Wednesday 27 May are still being finalised but it is hoped to operate a near normal service on all routes. There may however be some disruption to early-morning services.

During the strike only around 10% of normal services will run, but this varies significantly from route to route and passengers should check before they travel for more detailed information at www.nationalrail.co.uk.

When detailed train times are published, they will be available through usual journey planning websites such as www.nationalrail.co.uk.

The strike will have a significant impact on some trains to airports. Heathrow Express services will start later and finish earlier, however there will be no trains to Gatwick on Tuesday.

No freight services will run from Sunday night until Wednesday morning which will have a knock-on effect on manufacturers, mail deliveries and other vital sectors of the economy.

Even if the strike is called off at the last minute, there may still be disruption because the railway has to plan its next day’s services well in advance and it may be too late to run the normal timetable.

Some operators will be less affected by the industrial action than others so passengers should check their train company’s website, but the advice for the vast majority is not to travel if industrial action goes ahead.

Further information about the relaxation of ticket restrictions, compensation arrangements and the impact on rail freight services is below.

Michael Roberts, Director General of the Rail Delivery Group, which represents Network Rail and train operators, said:

“While talks between both parties continue, and we hope an agreement can be reached, the rail industry is working together to keep passengers informed about the impact of a national rail strike. The proposed industrial action will severely affect the travel plans of millions of passengers, stop vital freight deliveries, and disrupt lives and the economy.

“The rail industry is working hard to get the very latest information to passengers and ensure that people are treated fairly where our service falls short of what passengers usually experience. If this industrial action goes ahead, train services will be hit hard and we appreciate the patience of passengers during what will be a difficult and fluid situation.”

ENDS

Notes to editors

When will services be disrupted?

A limited service will operate until the afternoon on Monday 25 May on some routes, but there will be no service on other routes.

Very few trains will operate on Tuesday 26 May and most routes will be without any service at all. Train services that do operate are likely to be extremely busy.

Passengers should check with their train operators but the vast majority of people should avoid travelling on those days.

Services may also be busy on Sunday 24 May due to people travelling early and planned engineering work, which has been scaled back or cancelled where possible.

Plans for Wednesday 27 May are still being finalised but it is hoped to operate a near normal service on all routes.

When will passengers know what kind of service they can expect on Monday and Tuesday?

A summary indication of the level of service passengers can expect is being published this (Thursday) afternoon. Finalised timetables for 25 and 26 May will be made available as soon as possible, but this is unlikely to be before Saturday 23 May or Sunday 24 May. Passengers should check www.nationalrail.co.uk.

Should passengers still book tickets and/or try to travel during the strike?

In the vast majority of cases, no. There will be a limited service on Monday and very few trains on Tuesday. But some operators will be less affected than others so passengers should check with the train company concerned. Information is available at www.nationalrail.co.uk.

What are the arrangements for compensating passengers – who’s eligible and what are they entitled to?

The industry is working hard to ensure that it is as simple and easy as possible for passengers to get the compensation to which they are entitled. There are two types of compensation available to passengers: refunds, and compensation for delays and cancellations.

Refunds: If any part of a customer’s journey is expected to be disrupted (outward or return, in part or in full) they can apply for a full refund for the unused journey(s) from where the ticket was bought.

Customers who have already completed an outward journey on a return ticket, but who are unable to use the return part of a ticket due to the industrial action will be entitled to a refund of half the total cost of the ticket.

If passengers start a journey and abandon it they will be entitled to a full refund.

Compensation: Compensation is payable if a passenger is delayed during the course of their journey (usually by a minimum of thirty minutes). It is also payable to holders of longer-than-weekly Season tickets.

The amount of compensation payable will depend on each train company’s Passenger Charter. For Season ticket holders compensation can be in various forms including an extension to a Season ticket and pro-rata refunds.

Details of the compensation payable by each train company can be found on their websites.

Will train companies be relaxing ticket restrictions?

In order to make it as easy as possible for passengers to complete their planned journeys, train companies have agreed to put in place special ticketing arrangements.

Customers with tickets valid for travel on either Mon 25 May or Tues 26 May will be permitted to also use their tickets on Sun 24 May and Wed 27 May.

To manage demand so that customers have a more comfortable journey, certain conditions apply which can be seen at www.nationalrail.co.uk/industrialaction.

Passengers with Advance tickets for specific trains can travel within one hour of their original booked time or on the next nearest service, either on the day originally booked or on Sun 24, Mon 25, Tues 26 or Wed 27 May.

Unfortunately, these changes to ticket restrictions and the significant changes to services mean that normal reservations will not be valid.

Why are more trains running in some parts of the country than in others?

The planned industrial action by Network Rail staff will affect each train company’s services differently as there are important differences between routes, for example in terms of signlaling and other factors, such as whether a company runs electric or diesel trains.

The industry is working together to run as many trains as possible in all parts of the country during the industrial action to ensure that as many passengers as possible are kept moving.

What will happen if the strike is called off at the last minute?

The railway has to plan the next day’s services well in advance so that trains, tracks, signalling and staff are all in the right places. If the strike is called off at the last minute, it may be too late to run the normal timetable.

In this event, the industry will work together closely to manage disruption and get the latest information about services to passengers as quickly as possible.

How is the rail industry working with other transport providers?

The industry has been working closely with the Department for Transport, Transport for London and other agencies in the lead up to the proposed industrial action.

There has been close liaison with the Highways Agency so that where possible and appropriate road works are lifted. Coach/bus operators are also increasing services where possible. However, with 4.5m rail passengers on a normal weekday, it would be impossible for other modes of transport to entirely fill the gap that will inevitably exist.

What’s happening to freight services during the strike?

There are no freight services running from Sunday night through to Wednesday morning which will have a knock-on effect to manufacturing industries, mail deliveries and a range of other sectors crucial to the economy.

Railhub Archive ::: 2015-05-21 RDG-001