I am eying one-way rail travel for Mrs. BearX220 and myself in early spring, Waverley to KCS. Intend to buy discount first class in advance, and given the overall context of our itinerary we will have to make the trip on a particular date. Which raises the question: what does one do if labor action results in cancellation of our service? Plan B could be a flight, car rental, or coach, but will they all be rammed / oversubscribed / unavailable if disruptions come on short notice (to say nothing of costing a mint)?

I would be very grateful for your stories of rollover strategies to cope with short-notice cancellations and any prudent travel resiliency tips in these chaotic days. TIA of course.