Travel on strike days

[davidknibb]

No - I'm not trying to be a strike breaker - but have a problem which the TOC websites don't seem to resolve.
Originally - the strike days for Nov were 3,5,7.
So because I want to be in Liverpool - I booked tickets for the 9th. West Midlands Railways from Coventry to Lime Street changing at New Street. Simple.
But then the RMT shifted a strike day to the 9th - and without intending to my ticket is now on a strike day.
There will be no WMR trains running to Liverpool.
But I can get from Coventry to Crewe - and there is as far as I can tell an hourly Avanti service into Lime Street.
The TOC web sites do not make it clear if I can use my ticket on any operating train on that day.
Anyone know if my WMR ticket will be accepted by Avanti from Crewe to Liverpool /

Thanks

 

[Watershed]

No - I'm not trying to be a strike breaker - but have a problem which the TOC websites don't seem to resolve.
Originally - the strike days for Nov were 3,5,7.
So because I want to be in Liverpool - I booked tickets for the 9th. West Midlands Railways from Coventry to Lime Street changing at New Street. Simple.
But then the RMT shifted a strike day to the 9th - and without intending to my ticket is now on a strike day.
There will be no WMR trains running to Liverpool.
But I can get from Coventry to Crewe - and there is as far as I can tell an hourly Avanti service into Lime Street.
The TOC web sites do not make it clear if I can use my ticket on any operating train on that day.
Anyone know if my WMR ticket will be accepted by Avanti from Crewe to Liverpool /

Thanks

There doesn't seem to be any general ticket acceptance - which is very disappointing given how limited the timetable is on strike days.

However, as there are no LNR services to Liverpool on that date (and you presumably hold an LNR only Advance?) the delay by waiting for the next LNR service would be huge. Accordingly, you're entitled to be choose to be re-routed at the earliest opportunity - i.e. using any available services, regardless of operator.

Frustratingly, this right is only exercisable against the original operator "at fault". And so you need to ask LNR to reroute you onto Avanti - something which they may (wrongly) refuse to do. That being said, as you would otherwise be stranded at Crewe, Avanti also have an obligation to assist you if need be - and so that would be your practical remedy if LNR refuse to assist.

All of this hassle would be avoided if the industry did the right thing and agreed to put in place nationwide ticket acceptance on all routes, across all operators on strike days. But of course it would rather that people unnecessarily paid more for a new ticket, travelled on a different date, or simply didn't travel at all. There's a rather ominous silence about the other rights that passengers have, e.g. re-routing!

 

[davidknibb]

Thank you - let's see how I get on