What To Do When There’s A Train Strike

During any sort of strike, you may find yourself searching for alternatives or waiting until the strike is over before patronizing a business or using the services of a particular industry. But this gets awfully tricky when it comes to transportation, such as flights or trains.

Things can get complicated when you’re traveling and rail workers decide to strike. How do you deal with a rail strike that may impact a substantial part of your trip?

Do you need to rent a car? Should you try to ride the trains anyway? Is a strike enough to require a total change of your itinerary or travel dates? Let’s dig into what happens during a rail strike and what you need to do when rail strikes impact your travel plans.

Why Are There Train Strikes?

Workers in a union may decide to strike when they have a dispute with their employer, which in this case might be a train company. Railway workers may seek a pay raise, or baggage handlers may push for greater benefits from their employer.

In some cases, workers may even have a dispute with their own union leaders, which may result in a strike. Whatever the reason for the strike, travelers may encounter delays or cancellations of train services or routes.

See Related: Useful Tips for Long Distance Train Travel

When Will a Train Strike Occur?

There are no specific months or days when you can expect a train strike; however, unions typically do announce rail strikes well in advance of the strike dates, which also gives them more time to find a compromise. Train companies may publish notices on their website about impending strikes, or you may hear about them in the news.

Some of the longest and fiercest strikes in the world have occurred within the rail system. The Great Southwest Railroad Strike of 1886 lasted almost six months and involved 200,000 rail workers. The long-running dispute was a protest against low pay, long hours, and unsafe working conditions.

France, in particular, is a nation extremely familiar with rail strikes. Regular services are often canceled due to industrial action.

See Related: Riding the Eurostar from Paris to London after Brexit

Does All Travel Cease For Train Strikes?

As long as you’re aware of the strike in advance of your travel dates, you should have ample opportunity to make alternate plans. The entirety of the rail system likely won’t grind to a halt,…