Industrial Action - Update

The recent period of industrial action by members of ASLEF (the train drivers' union) has now finished. No future industrial action has been announced.

FAQS

• When is the industrial action taking place?
  • ASLEF announced a Strike day affecting Chiltern Railways services on Wednesday 8 May 2024. There was also a ban on non-compulsory overtime / Rest Day Working from the start of Monday 6 May (Bank Holiday) through to the end of Saturday 11 May 2024.

• Why is the industrial action happening?
  • Members of ASLEF (the train drivers' union) have voted to take industrial action in a dispute over various terms & conditions and pay.

• What does the industrial action mean for my journey?
  • Reduced and amended timetables were in operation throughout the period from 6 May through to 11 May. No Chiltern Railways services ran on Wednesday 8 April 2024.

• I have bought a ticket to travel on a day impacted by industrial action, can I use it on a different day instead?
  • Customers with Advance, Anytime or Off-Peak tickets valid for travel between Tuesday 7 May – Thursday 9 May can instead use their tickets any time between Monday 6 May and Monday 13 May. - The policy only applies to tickets purchased before the strikes were announced (ie 22 April). Please be advised that if your ticket includes travel on London Underground services, it will only only be valid on the original date of validity and not on alternative days.

• Will my ticket(s) be valid on any other route?
  • There were no published special arrangements in place for tickets to be valid with other operators. Please see above, or the National Rail Enquiries website, for information regarding industrial action affecting other train operators. The majority of English train operators were affected by the same overtime ban as Chiltern railways, and strikes were called on different operators on Tuesday 7, Wednesday 8 and Thursday 9 May.

• Is there a different timetable on the affected days?
  • Yes, an amended timetable operated on each day of the industrial action. No Chiltern Railways service ran on Wednesday 8 May 2024. Different timetables ran on each day - the service specification was updated in individual date boxes above. A normal service resumed on Sunday 12 May, subject to amendments due to an event at Wembley Stadium and one early morning cancellation from Oxford. Journey planners were updated for each of the impacted days (up to and including Sunday 12 May 2024).

• Will stations and ticket offices be open on the days affected by industrial action?
  • Stations and ticket offices opened as normal. Access to areas of some staffed stations was closed when no train services were running.

• Will I be able to buy an Advance ticket to travel on the affected days? 
  • Advance single tickets for travel on our services have been removed from sale for travel on the days affected by industrial action. We do not plan to re-release the sale of Advance tickets for the affected days.

• I have bought an Advance ticket to travel on the affected days, will I be able to get a refund? 
  • Advance tickets can be refunded fee-free (from the original retailer) if the train that the ticket is booked for is cancelled, delayed or rescheduled. Customers with 2 x Advance tickets (an outbound and a return), to be used as a return journey, can get a fee-free refund or change of journey for any unused legs/tickets, if one (either) of the legs is scheduled for an affected day. The ticket(s) need to have been purchased directly with Chiltern Railways. Customers who have purchased their tickets from other train companies or from third party retailers should refer to the original point of sale for guidance. All other normal terms & conditions for these tickets apply. Please note that Customers with Advance, Anytime or Off-Peak tickets valid for travel between Tuesday 7 May - Thursday 9 May can instead use their tickets any time between Monday 6 May and Monday 13 May 2024 - This policy only applies to tickets purchased before the industrial action was announced on 22 April.

• I have assistance booked over the strike period, what should I do?
  • We will continue to provide assistance for trains that are running, including booked assistance for trains that are confirmed in the timetable. We will continue to provide assistance for each day that we are running trains, at stations that have a train service. If you have booked assistance on any of those days, our advice is to please contact our customer relations team on 03456 005 165 (selecting option 3 then option 3). We will attempt to proactively contact customers who have already booked assistance on a day impacted by industrial action and whose first or only travel leg is on our services. You may receive contact from another train operator if your first or only travel leg is with them.

• Am I able to get a refund on a ticket purchased to travel on any of the days affected by industrial action?
  • Customers whose train is delayed, cancelled or amended due to industrial action and have already purchased tickets can claim a full fee free refund on their outward and return ticket from the original ticket retailer or can amend their ticket without charge in line with the National Rail Conditions of Travel Condition 30 if they decided not to travel. This includes those with separate tickets purchased as part of a return journey that is not affected by the industrial action, but where the outward journey is not possible. Those who do travel and are delayed may be entitled to delay repay compensation if they are delayed by 15 mins or more against the published timetable in operation on the day. See below faq for further detailed guidance for flexi-season ticket holders who had not activated their ticket(s). 

• Should I still buy a Seven Day (weekly) Season ticket?
  • Please note that there are no special refund or compensation arrangements in place for Seven Day (weekly) season tickets. To qualify for a monetary refund, Seven Day Season tickets must have at least three days' remaining validity and must be surrendered on the last day of use. If you hold a Seven Day Season ticket, you will only be eligible for compensation if you are delayed for 15 minutes or more against the final Published Timetable of the Day. Customers should carefully consider whether it is cost effective buying a weekly season ticket for any period of industrial action as, depending on your journeys / travel patterns, it could be better for you to buy tickets to buy on individual days if indeed it is even possible to complete your journey.

• I have a season ticket valid for one month or more. What are my options? 
  • If you are a Season Ticket holder (flexi, monthly or longer), and you cannot travel, you can claim 100% compensation through Delay Repay for the strike dates of the train operator for which you hold your season ticket with.  Delay Repay for season ticket holders will be capped at the pro-rata weekly rate, so that customers cannot claim back more than they paid for their ticket. Customers may also choose to surrender their season ticket to the original retailer and seek a refund. This will rarely be the best course of action as season ticket refunds are not calculated on a pro-rata basis. Please see the National Rail website for more information.

• What if I have a Flexi Season ticket to use on the strike day?
  • If you are unable to use the tickets on your Flexi Season due to the industrial action, you must wait until the Flexi Season has expired. If at this point, there are tickets still unused, you can contact us via the Contact Us form to refund any remaining tickets. If you have activated your ticket and then realised you can not travel, you can contact us from the Contact Us form and we will validate that the ticket was not used by checking tap data and refund that days travel. If you do not use the ticket on one or more of the days affected by industrial action, but then use them on a future date before the expiry of the ticket, there is no loss to you and therefore no refund due if all tickets used prior to expiry.

• Will you put alternative transport solutions in place?
  • No, rail replacement buses will not run in place of trains when industrial action is taking place.

• If I do decide to travel on the day of the strike, will I receive compensation?
  • You will be eligible for compensation if you were delayed for 15 minutes or more against the final Published Timetable of the Day. You can apply for compensation on our delay repay page. Season ticket holders should see the above FAQ. Holders of Single and Return tickets should seek a refund from the original point of sale. Any application for Delay Repay or a refund of unused ticket(s) must be received within 28 days of the original date of travel.

• What happens if a ‘Do Not Travel’ message is issued?
  • Customers who have already purchased tickets can claim a full fee free refund from the original ticket retailer or can amend their ticket; Season ticket holders can apply for compensation through the Delay Repay scheme if you were unable to use your season ticket due to strike action.