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Train strikes

August 29th, 2006 · Posted by Skuds in Work · No Comments · Work

Having been on holiday for a week I didn’t realise that there was a rail strike today.

It was only on South West Trains but since they provide all the services to Waterloo (except for Eurostar of course) it was very quiet at work today. Apparently the strike was because managers drove some trains during the last strike, allegedly breaking an agreement that they would only operate trains in exceptional circumstances. An SWT manager said that they consider a strike to be exceptional circumstances.

I wonder if any managers drove trains today? Would that make the whole thing into a self-perpetuating series of strikes?

Leaving aside the merits of the the argument, I found it all to be a real pain in the arse. I usually travel into work via London Bridge so my journey in was the same as normal, but I go home via Clapham Junction for reasons too boring to go into. Today SWT were running a very reduced service but none of their trains was stopping at Clapham Junction so my only choices were to go home via London Bridge or take a tube or bus to Victoria.

I decided to go via London Bridge but cocked up enormously at Waterloo East. 99% of trains going from Waterloo East stop at London Bridge, so I just jumped on the first train and only realised when it was pulling out that it was one of the 1%

I ended up in Kidbrooke. The only sensible thing to do in Kidbrooke is cross to the other platform and take the first train back to civilisation. On the way back into town we stopped at Lewisham and New Cross and I did feel quite nostalgic for the old place. I made a mental note to find some excuse to go back there for a visit.

Anyway, thanks to that detour I ended up in Crawley at 7:20pm, having left work at 5:15pm and the SWT drivers are going to have to do something spectacular to get my sympathy in future disputes.

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