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Off-topic: driving during train strikes

borgadrborgadr Posts: 704
in The potting shed
Having had no success with a google search, I'm wondering if anyone on here can advise me. I'm planning to drive to South Wales on Saturday (M25 and M4) - normally it would take me 3-3.5 hours on a Saturday, but there's a train strike planned.

Has anyone here attempted a long-distance drive on a train strike day? Should I expect a much, much slower journey than a normal Saturday?

Posts

  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 86,989
    My son has been driving longish journeys all over the southern half of the country as part of his job over the past few weeks. He says that apart from inside the M25, and near cities at rush hour, he’s not noticed any difference. 

    Hope that helps. 

    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





  • gjautosgjautos Posts: 427
    I've driven on strike saturdays before. To both south wales and Devon. (From buckinghamshire) didn't take any longer than non strike days. The days it really makes a difference on the M25 is a weekday strike.
  • Lizzie27Lizzie27 Posts: 11,999
    @borgadr . We drove the opposite way M4, M25, M11 to Norfolk on a Friday in June which I think was a train strike day and yes it did take a much longer time (about 7 hours incl 3 stops.)

    M25 is slow at the best of times and there were lots of roadworks - we averaged 40mph all the way round. M4 tends to be busy until you are past Reading, a bit slow past Swindon and busy again around the Almondsbury junction to Wales. 

    I would allow at least another hour and possibly two, you might need extra breaks on the way. You might want to check when the Reading Festival is on as well.

    Hope your trip goes well, take plenty of water and snacks!
    North East Somerset - Clay soil over limestone
  • JennyJJennyJ Posts: 10,120
    I must admit I didn't even check for train strikes before my recent trip of a similar length (to North Wales and back). I think best to plan for the roads to be busier than normal and be pleasantly surprised if they're not. Some people who would have travelled by train on the strike day might not have the option to drive instead, but some will.
    Doncaster, South Yorkshire. Soil type: sandy, well-drained
  • gjautosgjautos Posts: 427
    edited August 2022
    @Lizzie27 Friday is always the worst day to hit the M25 anyway. Its the one day of the week I will desperately try and avoid.
  • borgadrborgadr Posts: 704
    Brilliant - thanks a lot guys.  That's quite reassuring. I'll allow a little more time than usual, but at least it doesn't feel like a completely idiotic idea!
  • Lizzie27Lizzie27 Posts: 11,999
    Yes, @gjautos, we realized that! I don't know what made us do it!
    North East Somerset - Clay soil over limestone
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