At lest with strikes this week, prior to Xmas our wives can't nip up to spend,spend,spend in London's expensive, exclusive Shops (w.goods made in Asia, China,) . So, even if our shares slide, as a result of partying by City-Types using their Bonuses, .... our wallets will be less battered than is customary.

What I don't understand is why we don't use the model of Docklands -DLR which is both Driver-less and Guard-less . . . . there are Officials roaming the train - presumably to collar "wrong-uns".

I'm guessing the SR Rolling-stock is not capable of being updated, so the driver needs to be there;- to hold-the-handle, or else the train stops. Yet if that is the only point of "operation" - why can't that part be re-engineered?
Presumably the electrical signal from the handle isn't going directly to the motors . . . . there will be relays and possibly some computer-control so the acceleration and deceleration are very smooth.

If ever I use a train, I find it pathetically slow reaching the terminus - although there are only feet-left when halted, so I suppose this is "better safe than sorry" - I will presume that a fully controlled-train would test the rail adhesion, almost every revolution ( but NOT at the same spot, that would create flats!)..... so it has a reasonable guess as to how good the brakes are before the next "hazard" presents itself.

With Drivers earning £60k pa - I don't really think there is much sympathy for their Strike . . . esp. when it's wrecking the Xmas Party for millions of London Firms.

Clearly the drivers are telling the Nation . . . We don't want to work.....And their Unions have demonstrated that we need a Railway service that doesn't go on strike .... like PDQ.....

Who cares about the cost? No doubt there is some British Engineering co with the electronic/computing skills to make a suitable interface with the signals+ messages that bombard the Driver.... build it into a Dummy, fitted with a snazzy uniform and Bingo! = job done . . . . at least until a train is designed "from the wheels-up" - at Xmas 2017 passengers might shovel-in a mince-pie to the "Driver" through an open window.

Don't let our experiences with ATP fool us - that was scuppered by British Rail who didn't want their timetables shortened . . . no doubt keeping Union Chiefs happy at the same time. They resented university-types suggesting a new-way of building trains . . . so there was an Industry against change as well!
+The Irony of that debacle, was that faulty brakes ( was it?) meant the Italians bought the Rights and we have to buy Trains from Italy using our patents..... The fact is that our Chiefs ( Industry -or- Politics ) have very little vision, beyond next year's Silly-season.
=I suspect, but cannot know, that is why BREXIT is still standing at the station, as it were.

Have others found efficient ways to reach their place of work, in these strike-torn days?