Good News, then a Cliffhanger

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Planned engineering work for July is now published.  

Surprisingly Lewisham station will be completely closed - not a major problem as I can start from Ladywell.  

However, Ramsgate to Dover will have replacement buses so I must think my way around this problem.

The work-around results in a key journey of just one station, Yeovil Pen Mill to Yeovil Junction, now being possible! Three cheers!

Updated plan for days 1, 2 and 11 to 14 (days 4 and 8 I'm "resting"):

[Not part of the tour] Ladywell to London Bridge and Ashford, arriving three hours earlier than the original plan via Ramsgate.

[The tour starts here] Day 1: To Eastbourne, Brighton (cancel the hotel), Southampton and Weymouth (book new hotel)

Day 2: Yeovil Pen Mill, Yeovil Junction, Exeter, (cancel Taunton hotel) and Cardiff (book new hotel). I might have a chance to meet a couple of university friends here.

Day 3: Continue Bridgend, Swansea and Shrewsbury as original plan all the way up to Day 10 when I arrive at Doncaster. Then...

Day 11: Overnight in Doncaster (book new hotel) then to Barnetby and Lincoln on the way to Peterborough (cancel hotel) and Norwich (book new hotel)

Day 12: Can't find a way around a big problem here: the first train of the day from Great Yarmouth to Reedham is after 3pm. I tried rescheduling everything from Newcastle to no avail so I'll have 4 hours to kick my heels in Great Yarmouth on the way to Ipswich.

Day 13: Ipswich to Highbury and Islington as before then Finsbury Park and London Bridge (this is now not part of Day1) to Gravesend (book new hotel). I would overnight in Ramsgate but all convenient hotels are full.

Day 14: Ramsgate and Ashford [the tour ends here]. Then [not part of the tour] London Bridge to Lewisham and home, 2 days later than original plan.

Now for the cliffhanger:

There was a rail strike ballot on May 24th which resulted in the threat of a national rail strike . 

If this affects my trains in any way, then the tour is either postponed until August 7th (the only other practical date this year) or until next year

The Clockwise Tour continues from UK Rail Tour


Location: Lewisham, London, UK

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