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Aslef, the union representing train drivers, has declared the newest phase of their ongoing and contentious conflict with 14 train companies in England regarding compensation, employment, and working circumstances.
Members of the union plan to strike on various days between December 2nd and December 8th.
Every day (except for Monday, December 4th), a specific region will be selected to create the most disruption.
Furthermore, the implementation of a nine-day overtime restriction will result in additional cancellations from December 1st to December 9th, including both days.
The following are the main inquiries and responses regarding the railway strikes.
What is planned?
Aslef members who operate trains will go on strike on the following dates:
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On December 2nd, Saturday, East Midlands Railway and LNER will be in operation.
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On Sunday, December 3rd, Avanti West Coast, Chiltern, Great Northern, Thameslink, and West Midlands Trains will all be in operation.
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On Monday, December 4th, there were no strikes.
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On Tuesday, December 5th, there will be services running for C2C and Greater Anglia.
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On December 6th, Wednesday, the train services operating in the Southeastern, Southern/Gatwick Express, and South Western Railway regions will resume normal operations.
- are running trains
On Thursday, December 7th, CrossCountry and GWR will be operating train services.
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On December 8th, Northern and TransPennine Trains will be operating.
Neither ScotRail nor Transport for Wales are part of the disagreement.
What will be the impact?
Using past occurrences as a reference, these are the probable consequences if drivers go on strike. Please verify closer to the date of travel for confirmation.
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Trains are not operating on East Midlands Railway.
- LNER: Consistent train services along main routes connecting London King’s Cross to Leeds, York, Newcastle, and Edinburgh.
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There are currently no trains running on Avanti West Coast.
- Chiltern: No trains.
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There are currently no trains running on West Midlands Railway.
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There are currently no trains operating on the Great Northern line.
- Thameslink: No trains.
- C2C: No trains
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The Greater Anglia train service currently offers limited routes connecting London Liverpool Street to Norwich, Ipswich, and Colchester, as well as Southend Victoria and Stansted airport.
- Southeastern: No trains.
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There will be no trains running, except for a direct shuttle between London Victoria and Gatwick airport. This service will operate from 6am to 11:30am.
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The Gatwick Express will not be running, but the Southern airport shuttle will provide transportation.
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The South Western Railway offers a main service of four trains per hour from London Waterloo to Woking, with one train per hour continuing on to both Guildford and Basingstoke.
- CrossCountry: No trains.
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GWR, also known as Great Western Railway, will have a main service operating between London Paddington and destinations such as Oxford, Bath, and Bristol. There will also be a connection from Bristol to Cardiff. However, there will only be a minimal service on certain branch lines. The overnight sleeper service, Night Riviera, running from London to Penzance will not be available until Friday, October 6th.
- Northern: No trains.
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There are currently no trains running on TransPennine Express.
In addition to the disturbance during strike days, trains on neighboring days may experience impacts. These trains are also expected to be heavily crowded as passengers adjust their travel plans to avoid the strike.
Can you provide an update on the prohibition of overtime?
The effect on individual train companies will vary based on their reliance on overtime and the level of employee absences, which tend to be higher during winter compared to summer.
Will every train experience an impact at some point?
During all strike dates, ScotRail, Transport for Wales, and other operators will operate as usual.
- Caledonian Sleeper
- Elizabeth Line
- Grand Central
- Hull Trains
- London Overground
- Lumo
- Merseyrail
- ScotRail
- Transport for Wales
During days when railway companies providing similar services go on strike, trains are expected to be more congested.
On Saturday, December 2nd, Hull Trains, Lumo, and Grand Central are expected to have higher than usual occupancy due to the strikes on East Midlands Railway and LNER.
There may be higher levels of traffic than normal on Transport for Wales routes connecting Newport, Cardiff, and Swansea, as well as between Crewe and Manchester, due to strikes by GWR and Avanti West Coast.
Certain train stations may have restrictions on boarding or exiting trains in order to prevent overcrowding.
What do I require in order to get to an airport?
The Elizabeth Line and Tube will provide continuous access to London Heathrow.
There is a high possibility that London Gatwick will have a limited service on Wednesday, December 6th.
It is expected that there will be minimal service at London Stansted on Tuesday, December 5th.
At least from London, Luton airport will be accessible every day, including during strike days. On Saturday, December 2nd, when East Midlands Railway (EMR) is on strike, Thameslink can be used; the next day, Thameslink will not be in operation but EMR will be.
On Saturday, December 2nd, only Transport for Wales from Birmingham New Street will have access to Birmingham airport by rail.
On Sunday, December 3, only Transport for Wales from Manchester Piccadilly, Chester, and North Wales will have access to Manchester airport by rail. All other transportation services will be unavailable.
Is Eurostar going to be impacted?
On days of strikes, connecting journeys may be challenging. However, trains will still operate on their regular schedule between London St Pancras International and Paris, Brussels, and Amsterdam.
Is it possible for the strike to be cancelled?
It is highly improbable. The distances between the parties involved are great. Aslef train drivers have gone on strike 14 times since the start of national strikes in the summer of 2022.
Aslef is requesting a raise without conditions for train operators who have not received a salary increase in four and a half years.
The Rail Delivery Group (RDG) had made a previous proposal that was dependent on changes to work practices, but the union leaders turned it down without bringing it to a vote.
Mick Whelan, the general secretary of Aslef, stated that they are committed to resolving the issue and securing a substantial salary increase for train operators who have not received a raise since 2019, despite the rising cost of living.
“Our members have expressed their opinions and we are aware of their thoughts. Each time they cast their vote – which has been in favor of a strike – to demand a fair increase in pay, it is a clear refusal of the April offer.”
The RDG proposed a deal that aimed to take over all of our terms and conditions, fully aware that it would not be accepted.
He alleged that the transportation secretary, Mark Harper, was absent during the conflict.
A representative from the Department for Transport expressed disappointment in Aslef’s decision to target the general public and hospitality industry during the holiday season.
During the pandemic, each household paid £1,000 in taxes to support train drivers’ job security. Rather than initiating a strike, Aslef should take after the example of other rail unions and allow their members to vote on this equitable compensation agreement.
A representative from the Rail Delivery Group stated that the strike organized by Aslef leadership is completely unnecessary and will unfortunately cause inconvenience for customers and businesses during the important holiday season.
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The industry has presented a reasonable and economical proposal, which would increase the average salary of drivers for a four-day work week from £60,000 to almost £65,000. This offer is still available for consideration.
“We urge the Aslef leadership to put it to its members, give Christmas back to our passengers, and end this damaging industrial dispute.”
Are there any other issues approaching?
The primary train workers’ organization, RMT, is currently in conflict with the train companies. However, they are voting on a proposal for a 5% salary increase without any conditions, followed by discussions at the local level. It appears that this offer will be approved.
What other options are available?
As per usual, National Express, Megabus, and FlixBus will continue to operate long-distance coach services. However, there is a limited availability of seats and ticket prices are increasing.
The cost of flights within the UK from London, Bristol, Exeter, and Southampton to Newcastle, Edinburgh, and Glasgow is expected to rise during the days of planned strikes.
Source: independent.co.uk
