Rail strikes: Operators warn of major disruption on last weekend of school summer holidays

Rail strikes are set to bring large parts of the UK’s network to a grinding halt today when union members walk out in their long-running dispute over pay.

The 24-hour walkout by members of the train drivers’ union Aslef will be followed on Saturday by an overtime ban.

Up to 20,000 members of the Rail, Maritime and Transport Union (RMT) at 14 operators will also walk out on Saturday, in their own dispute over pay, jobs and conditions.

The strikes are set to cause major disruption on the country’s rail network across the weekend – the last of the school summer holidays.

Today, there will be no services from operators, including Northern, Avanti West Coast, TransPennine, Southern and Thameslink.

Fewer than half of trains will be running across the country on Saturday, with rail bosses warning of short notice cancellations.

South Western Railway has advised passengers to only travel if “absolutely necessary” today, warning that most of its network will be closed.

Both unions blame the government for the disruption, which they say is the result of ministers refusing to allow train operators to make an offer they can recommend to their members.

Aslef general secretary Mick Whelan said: “The government appears happy to let passengers, and businesses, suffer in the mistaken belief that they can bully us into submission.

“They don’t care about passengers, or Britain’s railway, but they will not break us.

“Train drivers at these companies have not had a pay rise for four years, since 2019, while inflation has rocketed.”

He claimed his union had not had contact with rail operators since later April, and from the government since early January.

“This shows how the contempt in which the companies, and the government, hold passengers and staff and public transport in Britain,” Mr Whelan added.

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However, the Rail Delivery Group described Aslef’s strike as “unnecessary” and said it will cause “more disruption to passengers looking to enjoy the end of the summer holidays”.

“The union leadership has its head in the sand and refuses to put our fair and reasonable offer to their members,” a spokesperson said.

“The offer would increase the average driver base salary for a four-day week without overtime from £60,000 to nearly £65,000 by the end of 2023.

“We want to give our staff a pay increase, but it has always been linked to implementing necessary, sensible reforms that would enhance services for our customers.

“We urge the Aslef leadership to acknowledge the substantial financial challenges facing the rail industry and work with us to achieve a more dependable and robust railway system for the future.”

A Department for Transport spokesperson said: “After taxpayers supported rail workers throughout the pandemic, it’s frustrating to see both Aslef and RMT coordinate their strikes with the aim of causing as much disruption as possible on the last weekend of the summer holidays.”

List of train companies affected by today’s strike:

• Avanti West Coast – no trains

• C2C – no trains

• Caledonian Sleeper – operator’s staff are not participating in the strike but services will not call at Watford Junction as the station will be closed due to the industrial action

• Chiltern Railways – no trains

• CrossCountry – no trains

• East Midlands Railway – no trains

• Gatwick Express – no trains but Southern will run a very limited service calling at Gatwick Airport and London Victoria only

• Great Northern – no trains

• Great Western Railway – extremely limited service and only between around 7am and 6.30pm.

• Greater Anglia – reduced service between London Liverpool Street and each of Norwich, Colchester and Southend Victoria

• Heathrow Express – reduced service with only one train per hour in each direction between London Paddington and Heathrow Airport

• London North Eastern Railway (LNER) – extremely limited service with around one train every two hours in each direction

• London Northwestern Railway – no trains

• Northern – no trains

• South Western Railway – reduced service and only from 7am and 7pm. Trains will only run between London Waterloo and each of Basingstoke, Twickenham and Woking; and between Guildford and Woking.

• Southeastern – no trains

• Southern – very limited service will operate, calling at Gatwick Airport and London Victoria only

• Stansted Express – one train per hour in both directions between London Liverpool Street and Stansted Airport

• Thameslink – no trains

• TransPennine Express – no trains

• West Midlands Railway – no trains