Train drivers’ union Aslef has launched the latest industrial action in a long-running and bitter dispute with 14 UK train drivers over pay and working conditions.
General Secretary Mick Whelan said: “We are striking again, not to cause any inconvenience to passengers, but to express our disgust at the government’s intransigence and the bad faith of the private companies that employ us.” Stated.
Train drivers are demanding unconditional wage increases, which will then be negotiated at the local level to modernize labor practices, which will come at additional costs to employers. Some drivers have not had their wages increased for five years, Aslef said.
Rail operators, represented by the Rail Delivery Group (RDG), say even small pay increases require far-reaching reforms.
Any transaction will be approved by the Department for Transport (DfT). The cost is being borne by taxpayers, with ticket revenues down around 20% from pre-Covid levels and rail subsidies at £16,300 a minute, up £4,000 per minute from pre-pandemic levels. Pounds are increasing.
The union said it had not held discussions with the RDG since April or with ministers since January.
A Department for Transport spokesperson said: “It is disappointing that Aslef is targeting public works and hospitality businesses at the beginning of the festive period.” Instead of going on strike, Aslef should follow other railway unions and give its members a vote on this fair pay deal. ”
A Rail Delivery Group spokesperson said: “This completely unnecessary strike action called by the Aslef leadership will sadly cause disruption to our customers and business ahead of the important festive period.” Ta.
Aslef is in a dispute with a railway company contracted by the government to provide railway services. they are:
Intercity carrier:
- Avanti West Coast
- cross country
- east midlands railway
- great western railway
- LNER
- transpennine express
London commuters:
- C2C
- greater anglia
- GTR (Gatwick Express, Great Northern, Southern, Thameslink)
- southeast
- South Western Railway (including the Island Line on the Isle of Wight)
Operators focused on the Midlands and North of England:
- chiltern railway
- northern train
- west midlands railway
What is planned?
The nine-day overtime ban has resulted in thousands of cancellations from December 1st to December 9th.
Union members are on strike from December 2nd to 8th. Every day (except Monday, December 4th) a different region of the country is targeted to cause maximum disruption. Many rail operators have suspended all service on the affected strike days.
Aslef said: The impact on the rail industry will be even greater with the strike action, which the membership overwhelmingly voted in favor of, and the extension of the ban on overtime work (similar to a strike) to the entire week. ”
What impact does the overtime ban have?
The impact on each train operator will vary depending on how much they rely on overtime and how sick their staff are, but could be more severe in the winter than in the summer.
Some of the carriers listed below have implemented large-scale advance cancellations to reduce disruption on the day, in light of the overtime ban. General warning to passengers: “Trains are subject to change or cancellation without notice.”
Many early morning trains were canceled on the first day. This includes the South Western Railway from London Waterloo to Southampton. The Great Western Railway runs from London Paddington via Bristol, Carmarthen, Cardiff and Swansea to Weston-super-Mare. TransPennine Express operates links from Manchester and Newcastle to Edinburgh, as well as a number of services between Manchester and Leeds to Hull.
The following railway companies have announced suspension of service in advance:
- C2C: “Significantly reduced frequency” on weekends, and many trains on weekdays as well.
- Chilterns: Services will be significantly reduced on most lines, with no trains running on some branch lines. “Service on all routes will end earlier than usual.” On December 1, the company warned: “Chiltern Railway will be unable to service the England (Lionesses) vs Netherlands event at Wembley Stadium. There will be no trains stopping at Wembley Stadium throughout the day.”
- Gatwick Express: There will be no trains running from 1st to 9th December, except Sunday 3rd December. Normal service will operate on this day. Southern trains will link London Victoria and Gatwick airports through the action.
- London North Western Railway/West Midlands Railway: Branch lines between Bletchley and Bedford, Watford Junction and St Albans Abbey, Leamington Spa and Nuneaton will be closed most or all day.
- Southern: “A revised schedule will be operated with reduced frequency. Service may start later and end earlier than usual.”
- Thameslink has warned that a revised timetable with reduced flights will be in operation.
Where and when will the strike take place?
Train drivers belonging to Aslef will be out on the following days for the following train operating companies:
- Saturday 2nd December: East Midlands Railway and LNER.
- Sunday 3 December: Avanti West Coast, Chiltern, Great Northern, Thameslink and West Midlands trains.
- Monday, December 4th: No strike
- Tuesday 5th December: C2C and Greater Anglia
- Wednesday 6th December: South Eastern Railway, Southern/Gatwick Express, South Western Railway.
- Thursday, December 7th: Cross Country and GWR
- Friday 8th December: Northern and Transpennine trains
Neither ScotRail nor Transport for Wales are involved in the dispute.
What effect does it have?
Based on past experience, here are the possible effects when the driver exits the car: Please be sure to check near the day of your trip.
- East Midland Railway (2 December): No trains. “Please do not travel. There will be no rail replacement bus service.”
- LNER (December 2): Regular trains on major routes between London King’s Cross and Leeds, York, Newcastle and Edinburgh.
- Avanti West Coast (December 3): No trains. “Services on strike days will also be affected.”
- Chilterns (December 3): No trains.
- West Midlands Railway (December 3): No trains.
- Great Northern (December 3): No trains.
- Thameslink (December 3): No trains.
- C2C (December 5th): No trains
- Greater Anglia (5 December): Limited service between London Liverpool Street and Norwich, Ipswich and Colchester. Southend, Victoria. Cambridge; and Stansted Airport.
- Southeast (December 6): No trains.
- South (December 6): There will be no trains running from 6am to 11.30am, with the exception of the non-stop shuttle service between London Victoria and Gatwick Airport.
- Gatwick Express (December 6): No trains, but Southern Airport Shuttle will operate overground.
- South Western Railway (6 December): Core service with up to four trains per hour between London Waterloo and Woking, with one train per hour to both Guildford and Basingstoke. It will be extended. A shuttle will run from Basingstoke to Salisbury. Trains will also run between Waterloo and Feltham via Richmond and Twickenham.
- Cross Country (December 7): No trains. “Due to the previous day’s industrial action, the start of service on Friday, December 8th may be delayed from normal.”
- Great Western Railway (GWR, December 7): Core services will run between London Paddington and Oxford, Bath and Bristol, and from Bristol to Cardiff. Limited service on branch lines in Devon and Cornwall. The Night Riviera sleeper service from London to Penzance will not run until Friday 6 October.
- Heathrow Express (7 December): Reduced services only between 7am and 7pm.
- North (December 8): No trains.
- TransPennine Express (December 8): No trains.
In addition to disruptions on the day of the strike, trains may also be affected on adjacent days. Trains on such days can be very crowded as passengers move around to avoid industrial action.
Is there a “worst day”?
yes. Sunday, December 3, was a chaotic day for people trying to travel north and south. Almost all services on the West Coast Main Line between London Euston and the West Midlands, north-west England, north Wales and southern Scotland were suspended that day due to the Aslef strike.
The alternative route for many people is usually the LNER on the East Coast Main Line. However, long-planned engineering works by Network Rail led to the complete closure of the line south of St Neots in Cambridgeshire. A rail replacement bus was planned between St Neots and Bedford, with passengers expected to frequently catch Thameslink trains to London, but it was not running due to the Aslef strike.
Will all trains be affected someday?
no. During the strike period, passengers can expect normal services from ScotRail, Transport for Wales and the following operators:
- caledonian sleeper
- elizabeth line
- grand central
- Hull train
- london overground
- Lumo
- mersey rail
- scot rail
- Transport in Wales
Trains are likely to be even more crowded on days when parallel railway companies are on strike.
For example, if GWR and Cross Country are on strike, Transport for Wales services between Newport, Cardiff and Swansea may be busier than usual.
To avoid congestion on some trains, boarding and alighting may be restricted at specific stations.
What do I need to get to the airport?
london heathrow It is always accessible by the Elizabeth line and subway. During the Heathrow Express strike on December 7, trains will also be reduced from 7am to 7pm.
Customers london gatwick There are two impacts. The first will be on Sunday 3rd December, when Thameslink train drivers will step down, and on Wednesday 6th December, when it will be the turn of Aslef members working on Gatwick Express and Southern. However, there will still be a significant number of trains running for passengers on the main line between London, Gatwick and Brighton. It can be very crowded, especially in the morning. The Gatwick Express will not operate at all.
london stansted will conduct hourly skeleton service on Tuesday, December 5th, and will have a “modified service” on all other non-overtime days.
luton The airport will be accessible by rail, at least from London, on the day of the strike. Thameslink was running on Saturday 2 December when East Midlands Railway (EMR) was on strike. The next day, Thameslink was not running, but EMR was.
birmingham On Saturday 2 December the airport was not accessible by rail, except for Welsh transport from Birmingham New Street.
manchester The airport was not accessible by rail, with the exception of Welsh Transport from Manchester Piccadilly, Chester and North Wales on Sunday 3 December.
Will Eurostar be affected too?
No, trains between London St Pancras International Station and Paris, Brussels and Amsterdam will run as normal. However, on the day of the strike, connecting flights will be difficult.
Are there any other issues?
Mick Whelan, general secretary of Aslef, said: independent person: “We are working on it for as long as necessary.” He believes this is a political conflict that may not be resolved until there is a change of government.
Members of the main railway union, the RMT, voted overwhelmingly in favor of an unconditional 5% wage offer and subsequent local negotiations, guaranteeing no further strikes for six months.
What are the alternatives?
As always, long-distance bus operators National Express, Megabus and Flixbus will continue to operate, but with a shortage of seats and increased fares.
Domestic airfares from London airports, Bristol, Exeter and Southampton to Newcastle, Edinburgh and Glasgow are likely to increase on the relevant strike date.