Essential information about the train strikes occurring in December

The union representing train drivers, Aslef, has initiated another phase of strikes in their ongoing and contentious disagreement with 14 English train companies regarding salaries and work schedules.

According to Mick Whelan, the general secretary, we are striking once more not to cause trouble for passengers, but to demonstrate our outrage towards the government’s inflexibility and the dishonesty of the private companies that employ us.

Train operators are being urged by train drivers to grant a salary increase without any conditions, and then engage in discussions at a community level to update their methods of work – a change that will come at an extra cost for the employers. The train drivers’ union, Aslef, claims that several drivers have not received a raise in pay for five years.

The RDG, which represents the train operators, states that any pay raise will only be approved if significant changes are made.

The Department for Transport (DfT) will approve any agreement. Taxpayers are covering the cost, as ticket sales have decreased by 20% compared to before Covid, and the subsidy for the railway is now £16,300 per minute, which is £4,000 higher than pre-pandemic levels.

The union has not engaged in discussions with the RDG since April or with ministers since January.

A representative from the Department for Transport expressed disappointment that Aslef is choosing to disrupt the public and hospitality industries during the start of the holiday season. Rather than going on strike, Aslef should follow the lead of other rail unions and allow their members to vote on the proposed fair pay agreement.

A representative from the Rail Delivery Group stated that the strike action initiated by Aslef’s leaders is unwarranted and will unfortunately disrupt both customers and businesses during the important holiday season.

Aslef is currently in a conflict with the railway companies that have been contracted by the government to offer rail transportation. These companies include:

Intercity operators:

London commuter operators:

Operators with a focus on the Midlands and northern regions of England.

A ban on overtime for nine days is resulting in the cancellation of thousands of events from December 1st to 9th, including.

The union has organized a strike that will take place between December 2nd and 8th. Each day, a different region will be targeted for disruption, excluding Monday, December 4th. As a result, several train companies are planning to cancel all services on their designated strike days.

According to Aslef, they have previously organized strikes for all members on the same day. However, this time, they have decided to spread out the strike action, which was voted for by a large majority of members, throughout the week. They have also implemented a ban on overtime, which is considered to be a less severe form of action. As a result, the impact on the rail industry will be more significant.

The impact on train operators varies depending on their reliance on overtime and the level of employee illness, which tends to be greater during the winter season compared to summer.

Some operators, listed below, have made large-scale pre-emptive cancellations to take account of the overtime ban and reduce on-the-day disruption. The general warning to passengers: “Trains are subject to short notice alterations and cancellations.”

Many trains were cancelled on the first day, such as South Western Railway’s train from London Waterloo to Southampton, Great Western Railway’s train from London Paddington to Weston-super-Mare via Bristol and Carmarthen via Cardiff and Swansea, and TransPennine Express links from Manchester and Newcastle to Edinburgh. Additionally, several Manchester-Leeds-Hull services were also affected.

The following rail companies have announced pre-emptive cancellations:

Aslef train drivers will be going on strike on the specified days against the following train companies:

Neither ScotRail nor Transport for Wales are participating in the conflict.

From past occurrences, these are the potential consequences of drivers going on strike. It is advisable to verify closer to the date of travel for confirmation.

Furthermore, not only will there be disruptions on strike days, but trains on the days surrounding the strike may also experience delays. Additionally, these trains are expected to be overcrowded as passengers adjust their travel plans to avoid the industrial action.

On Sunday, December 3rd, it was a chaotic day for those attempting to travel in a north-south direction. The majority of trains on the West Coast main line, which links London Euston to the West Midlands, northwest England, North Wales, and southern Scotland, were stopped due to the Aslef strike.

The alternate option for most people would typically involve taking the LNER train on the East Coast main line. However, due to scheduled engineering work by Network Rail, the line was completely shut down south of St Neots in Cambridgeshire. As a result, rail replacement buses were arranged between St Neots and Bedford, where passengers would usually transfer to a Thameslink train for their journey to London. Unfortunately, these trains were not running due to the Aslef strike.

There will be no disruptions on ScotRail, Transport for Wales, and other operators on all strike dates. Passengers can expect regular service.

When there is a strike among rail companies that offer similar services, trains are expected to be more congested.

When GWR and CrossCountry go on strike, there may be increased traffic on Transport for Wales routes connecting Newport, Cardiff, and Swansea.

In order to prevent overcrowding, certain train stations may have limitations on boarding or exiting trains.

The Elizabeth Line and the Tube provide continuous access to London Heathrow. Despite the planned Heathrow Express strike on December 7th, there will still be a limited service from 7am to 7pm.

London Gatwick travelers will be affected twice: on Sunday, December 3 due to a strike by Thameslink train drivers, and on Wednesday, December 6 when Aslef members working for Gatwick Express and Southern will also go on strike. However, there will still be a considerable number of trains running for main line passengers between London, Gatwick, and Brighton. These trains may be extremely crowded, particularly during morning hours. No Gatwick Express trains will be operating at all.

On Tuesday 5 December, there will be a limited hourly service at London Stansted due to an overtime ban. “Service alterations” will be in effect on all other days during this ban.

The railway provides access to Luton airport from London every day, even during strike days. On December 2nd, when East Midlands Railway (EMR) was on strike, Thameslink trains were operating. The next day, Thameslink was not running but EMR was.

On Saturday, December 2nd, the only way to reach Birmingham airport by train was through Transport for Wales from Birmingham New Street.

On Sunday, December 3rd, the only way to reach Manchester airport by train was through Transport for Wales from Manchester Piccadilly, Chester, and North Wales.

On strike days, connecting journeys may be challenging, but trains will still operate normally between London St Pancras International and Paris, Brussels, and Amsterdam.

According to Mick Whelan, the general secretary of Aslef, the organization is committed to staying in the dispute for however long it takes. He views it as a political issue that may only be resolved with a change in government.

The RMT, a major rail union, has shown strong support for a 5% pay offer with no conditions, to be followed by discussions at the local level. They have also agreed not to strike for the next six months.

As usual, the long-distance bus companies National Express, Megabus, and FlixBus will continue to operate, although available seats are becoming limited and prices are increasing.

Air travel prices for flights within the UK from London, Bristol, Exeter, and Southampton to Newcastle, Edinburgh, and Glasgow are expected to rise during days affected by strikes.

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