02 February 2024 , 10:19
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Train drivers are set to strike again, causing more travel disruption for passengers.
Parts of the country will have no rail services on Friday due to the ongoing dispute over pay and conditions. Members of Aslef at Greater Anglia, c2c and LNER will walk out for 24 hours, following similar action at other train operators earlier this week.
Strikes will also be held on Saturday and next Monday against different companies, causing fresh travel chaos for passengers. Union members at all the English train operators involved in the dispute are also banning overtime until early next week, leading to cancellations.
Passengers are being advised to check before they travel, with some areas having no trains and others only limited services. c2c will not run any services on Friday. Managing director Rob Mullen said: "I'm really disappointed that an agreement with Aself hasn't been reached.
He added: "The impact of this ongoing action is significant for our customers and colleagues. I'm hopeful that further meetings with the unions are productive and see progress made toward concluding this challenging time for the railway."
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LNER said it will run more than 30 services between London, Edinburgh and West Yorkshire, equivalent to around a fifth of its usual timetable. Greater Anglia has warned that only a "very limited" service will operate on Friday on just five of its main routes, excluding the Stansted Express service.
The company's managing director, Jamie Burles, said: "Unfortunately on February 2, no services will run at all on most Greater Anglia routes, with just an hourly service during normal operating hours on the Stansted Airport to London route and an hourly service for limited hours on the Norwich to London, Colchester to London and Southend Victoria to London routes, plus a few services between Cambridge and London Liverpool Street."
He added: "On the days affected by action short of a strike, the vast majority of services will be running as normal, but there will be some alterations and cancellations across our network." He also said that an extensive engineering works programme is taking place over the weekend, which is crucial for maintaining the railway's safety and reliability.
A rail replacement service will be available during this time. "We are sorry for any inconvenience caused by these service alterations and advise customers to plan ahead and check before they travel." he concluded.
The dispute has been ongoing for over a year and a half. Aslef say it hasn't had a meeting with Transport Secretary Mark Harper for more than a year or with the rail employers since last April. Mick Whelan, General Secretary, said his members have not received a pay rise in nearly five years, accusing the government of "giving up" on trying to resolve the disagreement.
None of the companies affected by the current wave of strikes are implementing the new law set to ensure a minimum level of services during industrial action which is set at 40% in the railway industry. This shows that these rules aren't possible to maintain, according to Aslef.
A spokesperson for Rail Delivery Group said: "Train companies are working through plans to manage the unnecessary disruption to our passengers caused by this damaging industrial action minimum service levels are one potential tool for that but they are not a silver bullet. In the meantime, we remain committed to resolving this dispute and our offer, which would take average driver salaries to £65,000 for a four-day week without overtime, remains on the table."
The Transport Department accused Aslef's leadership of refusing to let its members vote on a wage offer presented last year. A spokesperson voiced: "The Transport Secretary and Rail Minister have already facilitated talks that led to this fair and reasonable offer. With passenger revenues not having recovered since the pandemic, the taxpayer has had to prop up the railways with £12 billion in the last year alone. These strikes will not change the need for urgent workplace reforms that Aslef continue to block."
Aslef argues back, saying their drivers have voted many times to keep striking since the row began. Mr Whelan also said: "The members have voted to keep striking for a fair pay deal. What is it that Mr Harper does not understand?"
* An AI tool was used to add an extra layer to the editing process for this story. You can report any errors to [email protected]
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