Christmas Eve Travel

[les.]

Hi,

I am travelling from Grimsby Town down to Oxted on Christmas Eve but have just seen that this is a day there will be a strike. To get there I will be using TPE, LNER, Thameslink and Southern.

I am now being told that the strike will not happen until after 6pm and I am due to arrive at Oxted just before then

Doies anyone know exactly what is happening on Christmas Eve and will my journey all go to plan? (Barring late running trains of course)

 

[Watershed]

Hi,

I am travelling from Grimsby Town down to Oxted on Christmas Eve but have just seen that this is a day there will be a strike. To get there I will be using TPE, LNER, Thameslink and Southern.

I am now being told that the strike will not happen until after 6pm and I am due to arrive at Oxted just before then

Doies anyone know exactly what is happening on Christmas Eve and will my journey all go to plan? (Barring late running trains of course)

Services will wind down so as to finish by 5-6pm. I would therefore expect the last train to Oxted to arrive considerably before 6pm - it will need to go to East Grinstead/Uckfield and get back to London/Selhurst by 6pm.

Finalised timetables will be published closer to the date. Do you already hold tickets for your journey?

 

[les.]

Services will wind down so as to finish by 5-6pm. I would therefore expect the last train to Oxted to arrive considerably before 6pm - it will need to go to East Grinstead/Uckfield and get back to London/Selhurst by 6pm.

Finalised timetables will be published closer to the date. Do you already hold tickets for your journey?

Yes, I already have my tickets. I am due to arrive at Oxted at 17:35.

 

[Watershed]

Yes, I already have my tickets. I am due to arrive at Oxted at 17:35.

I would be amazed if that train isn't cancelled, with the last train to Oxted being an hour or two earlier. You will likely need to depart earlier if you want to make it there by train. What tickets do you hold? (Price, to/from, route, type)

 

[Haywain]

Finalised timetables will be published closer to the date.

Middle of next week for LNER, could be later for Southern.

As above, expect to have to travel earlier.

 

[les.]

I would be amazed if that train isn't cancelled, with the last train to Oxted being an hour or two earlier. You will likely need to depart earlier if you want to make it there by train. What tickets do you hold? (Price, to/from, route, type)

I have a Super Off-Peak return from Grimsby Town to Oxted. My changes are Doncaster, Stevenage and East Croydon. Do you think it would be okay for me to get the train from Grimsby an hour earlier even though I am booked on the 13:32? If I can just get as far as East Croydon that would be okay.

 

[87015]

I have a Super Off-Peak return from Grimsby Town to Oxted. My changes are Doncaster, Stevenage and East Croydon. Do you think it would be okay for me to get the train from Grimsby an hour earlier even though I am booked on the 13:32? If I can just get as far as East Croydon that would be okay.

You'll need to be in London by 1332 i'd expect to get to Oxted. If you have to travel on the 24th, you'll need to go early.

 

[Haywain]

I have a Super Off-Peak return from Grimsby Town to Oxted. My changes are Doncaster, Stevenage and East Croydon. Do you think it would be okay for me to get the train from Grimsby an hour earlier even though I am booked on the 13:32? If I can just get as far as East Croydon that would be okay.

That would certainly not be a problem, but do make sure you check the timetables as LNER will have some alterations that day as well.

 

[Essan]

You should be fine to use a super off peak return on any earlier train - all it will mean is that you won't have a reserved seat. I'd advise departing as early as possible.

 

[les.]

You'll need to be in London by 1332 i'd expect to get to Oxted. If you have to travel on the 24th, you'll need to go early.

I am booked to change at Stevenage to catch the 16:17 Thameslink train to East Croydon, do you think that train will be running? If I can get to East Croydon then I'll be okay from there.

Hopefully, panic over. I was due to be working until 12:30 on Christmas Eve but due to this situation, I have had a word with my (very kind) boss and he has said that I can take Christmas Eve off so I will be able to catch an early morning train which should hopefully see me get there okay!

 

[Surreytraveller]

Southern's website is advising last trains are around midday

Southern - Industrial action

www.southernrailway.com

 

[les.]

I'm now looking at leaving Grimsby at 07:35 getting to Oxted at 11:35 so that should be a lot better.

 

[Puffing Devil]

I wish you luck with the TPE first leg - their performance has been diabolical recently. They were showing cancelled trains for the following day on their website after about 10pm; it's worth double-checking that before you set out.

 

[Peterthegreat]

Northern are not running after lunchtime and only a very sparse service in the morning.

 

[les.]

I wish you luck with the TPE first leg - their performance has been diabolical recently. They were showing cancelled trains for the following day on their website after about 10pm; it's worth double-checking that before you set out.

I will do, first thing I'll check when I get up!

Northern are not running after lunchtime and only a very sparse service in the morning.

Not using Northern so that's not a problem.

 

[_toommm_]

Northern are not running after lunchtime and only a very sparse service in the morning.

Is that definite? I’ve booked Leeds to a station on the Glossop Line for Xmas Eve to get home after work, travelling on the 20:03 service from Manchester Piccadilly towards Hadfield. Looks like I’ll have to lose some money and leave work massively early.

 

[Peterthegreat]

Is that definite? I’ve booked Leeds to a station on the Glossop Line for Xmas Eve to get home after work, travelling on the 20:03 service from Manchester Piccadilly towards Hadfield. Looks like I’ll have to lose some money and leave work massively early.

There are no services on the Hadfield at all on Christmas eve.

 

[Merseysider]

Is that definite? I’ve booked Leeds to a station on the Glossop Line for Xmas Eve to get home after work, travelling on the 20:03 service from Manchester Piccadilly towards Hadfield. Looks like I’ll have to lose some money and leave work massively early.

An Uber can normally be had for ~£25 but may be more on Xmas Eve. A prebooked taxi may still offer a fair price and be better than losing wages

 

[Mcr Warrior]

There are no services on the Hadfield at all on Christmas eve.

Hadn't seen that.

Engineering work? Or the impact of strike action?

Some journey planners are still showing a final 20:03 departure from Manchester Piccadilly to Hadfield on 24DEC2022 via Glossop (arrives Hadfield 20:41) but possible that the relevant timetable data hasn't been updated yet.

 

[_toommm_]

Hadn't seen that.

Engineering work? Or the impact of strike action?

Some journey planners are still showing a final 20:03 departure from Manchester Piccadilly to Hadfield on 24DEC2022 via Glossop (arrives Hadfield 20:41) but possible that the relevant timetable data hasn't been updated yet.

Indeed, that’s the one I’m booked on to. I’m guessing Dinting Signal Box is the issue, but it’s really annoying that a week away they still can’t confirm this.

 

[Watershed]

Is that definite? I’ve booked Leeds to a station on the Glossop Line for Xmas Eve to get home after work, travelling on the 20:03 service from Manchester Piccadilly towards Hadfield. Looks like I’ll have to lose some money and leave work massively early.

Obviously this depends on your appetite for having an argument and potentially litigating, but if it were me, I'd certainly not consider cutting short work. I'd ask the relevant operator(s) to arrange alternative transport in line with their obligations.

Then if (or rather, when) they refuse to do so or tell you they "can't", make your own alternative arrangements and claim back the cost in the usual way.

 

[_toommm_]

Obviously this depends on your appetite for having an argument and potentially litigating, but if it were me, I'd certainly not consider cutting short work. I'd ask the relevant operator(s) to arrange alternative transport in line with their obligations.

Then if (or rather, when) they refuse to do so or tell you they "can't", make your own alternative arrangements and claim back the cost in the usual way.

I had it happen a few years ago and Northern eventually relented. My worry this year is the whole 10pm timetable on the day farce, and whether Piccadilly will be completely closed.

Payday is just before though, so worst comes to worst I could just Uber it like suggested up-thread and get into a debate about it.

 

[Watershed]

I had it happen a few years ago and Northern eventually relented. My worry this year is the whole 10pm timetable on the day farce, and whether Piccadilly will be completely closed.

Payday is just before though, so worst comes to worst I could just Uber it like suggested up-thread and get into a debate about it.

The 10pm the night before stuff isn't even referenced in the NRCoT in relation to alternative transport - only delay compensation. There's also the PRO you could rely on.

As I say, it depends on your attitude to having an argument. But I would definitely not be taking a hit for the strike action.

 

[Bald Rick]

On the 24th almost all the network will be open, except for those parts affected by engineering work, and a couple of strike issues (especially some routes operated by EMR, Chiltern, SWR and Northern).

However last trains will be much earlier, with some parts of the network closing as early as 1500, and all of it closed by 1800. Clearly last trains will have reached their destinations by then, and therefore set off much earlier.

This is all being planned now, and will be available on journey planners on Tuesday. A couple of operators will have their services published late, as the planning has all been very last minute due to changes in the strike action.

 

[Tetchytyke]

Looks like I’ll have to lose some money and leave work massively early.

Depending on where you're going to, bailing out at Stalybridge and getting the 237 bus towards Hadfield and Glossop is likely to be a better option. It stops right outside the station.

 

[les.]

Just an update on my original post. Trains being cancelled in the morning on Christmas Eve now, I could have made the journey then but a bit worried that 1 cancellation or a missed connection would see me stranded somewhere, so I have discussed this with my (very,very kind) boss and he has let me take the Friday (23rd) off now, so I can travel down then as trains seem to be running okay on that day and it says on the LNER website that if your train is cancelled, then you can travel the day before.

 

[Haywain]

Depending on where you're going to, bailing out at Stalybridge and getting the 237 bus towards Hadfield and Glossop is likely to be a better option. It stops right outside the station.

If he's planning on getting a 20:03 train from Piccadilly, I'd suggest that the problems start with the departure from Leeds.

 

[paul1609]

I'm now looking at leaving Grimsby at 07:35 getting to Oxted at 11:35 so that should be a lot better.

If you get to London and find that the Oxted services have finished, an alternative is to head to Redhill if that's possible.
From across the road outside the station there's a 410 bus by Southdown which is supposed to be running a saturday service from stop 3 in the bus station.
Leaves at xx.35
In the event of an emergency its just over 8 miles by Taxi.

 

[_toommm_]

If he's planning on getting a 20:03 train from Piccadilly, I'd suggest that the problems start with the departure from Leeds.

Indeed they will. Tempted to claim the additional money back from TPE that I’ve had to spend to get home, as the coach alone was £15 and I’ve got to then get an Uber back.