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Rail strike action: commuting and business travel

16 Jun 2022

A nationwide rail strike has been called by the RMT union to take place for three days on Tuesday 21, Thursday, 23 and Saturday, 25 June

The latest update from RDG/Network Rail is to avoid travelling if possible, and if you do travel then please expect disruption, which will apply to all five days Tuesday, 21 – Saturday, 25 June. It is expected that only 20% of trains will be running on strike days, and 70% of trains on non-strike days (with the morning peak most badly affected). On strike days, the limited service is expected to run between 7.30am until 6.30pm approximately.

Locally, Northern Rail and Transpennine Express are advising customers not to travel by train on the affected dates, and that services are likely to be severely affected for the remainder of the week.

Where possible, you should make alternative travel plans as there will be no replacement buses provided.

Other ways to travel

Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) is working with operators to provide enhanced services across the bus and tram network, where possible.  Additional double trams will be running across Metrolink on strike days and will be prioritised in areas of greatest demand to help passengers get around, with thousands of free park and ride spaces available at dozens of sites across Greater Manchester. 

A dedicated travel information page has been set up to help people plan their journey, and latest information and advice will be put out across TfGM social and digital channels.  

Update: colleagues will be able to park in our University car parks free of charge on Tuesday, 21 June and Thursday, 23 June.

What should I do if I have business travel booked by rail?

Trainline will not refund tickets automatically as some carriers are allowing tickets to automatically roll over to an unaffected day or time. Any refunds or changes should be requested via your account in the Key Travel online platform, as normal.

How can I cancel or change my rail ticket?

If your trip has been booked online:

  • Log into your Key Travel online account, go to ‘book online’ and open the booking portal.
  • Under ‘My Trips’, select the affected trip and click ‘trip details’
  • To cancel the entire trip, select ‘cancel trip’ in the header.
  • To cancel only part of a trip, select ‘remove’ on the left-hand side.
  • Follow the system prompts to cancel.
  • To make a change, select ‘request change’ and follow the system prompts.

If you have already collected your paper tickets, they must be returned to Trainline to claim a refund, enclosing your booking confirmation or written booking reference.

Other dates around the strike action will operate a slightly reduced service however those dates are not currently included in the amendments to ticket conditions. If your service is cancelled or severely delayed then normal ‘delay repay’ compensation may apply – please check the relevant rail operator website for information. This should be claimed directly with the rail operator as soon as possible, as time limits may apply.