Important information about December train strikes

The Aslef union, representing train drivers, has initiated a new phase of strikes in their ongoing and contentious disagreement with 14 train companies in England regarding salary and work policies.

The secretary, Mick Whelan, stated: “Our decision to go on strike is not to cause inconvenience for passengers, but to demonstrate our frustration with the government’s stubbornness and the lack of trust shown by our employers.”

Train operators are being asked by drivers to increase their pay without any conditions, and then engage in discussions at a community level to update their methods of work – an adjustment that will result in extra costs for the companies. Aslef reports that certain drivers have gone without a raise in salary for a period of five years.

The RDG, which represents train operators, states that any pay raise will depend on extensive reforms.

Any deal will be signed off by the Department for Transport (DfT). Taxpayers footing the bill – ticket revenue is about 20 per cent down on pre-Covid levels, with the subsidy for the railway running at £16,300 per minute – £4,000 more than before the pandemic.

The union has not engaged in discussions with the RDG since April, and has also not communicated 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 holiday season. Rather than striking, Aslef should consider following the example of other rail unions and allowing their members to vote on the proposed fair pay agreement.

A representative for the Rail Delivery Group stated that the strike initiated by the Aslef leadership is unnecessary and will unfortunately cause inconvenience to customers and businesses during the crucial holiday season.

Aslef is currently in conflict with the railway companies that have been hired by the government to offer train services. These companies include:

Intercity operators:

London commuter operators:

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

The nine-day ban on overtime has resulted in numerous cancellations between 1 and 9 December, including weekends.

Union members have planned strikes on various days between 2 and 8 December. With the exception of Monday 4 December, each day will focus on disrupting a different area of the country. As a result, numerous train companies have announced the cancellation of all services on the designated strike days.

According to Aslef, they have previously organized a strike where all members participated on the same day. However, this time, they have decided to spread out the strike action over the week, along with a ban on overtime, which their members voted for. This will have a greater impact on the rail industry.

The effect on individual train companies is determined by their reliance on overtime and the level of employee illnesses, which tends to be greater during the winter season compared to the summer.

Several operators have implemented significant preemptive cancellations in response to the overtime ban and to minimize disruptions on the day of travel. Passengers are advised that trains may be altered or cancelled with short notice.

Numerous trains were cancelled on the initial day, such as South Western Railway’s route from London Waterloo to Southampton, Great Western Railway’s line from London Paddington to Weston-super-Mare via Bristol and Carmarthen through Cardiff and Swansea, and various TransPennine Express connections from Manchester and Newcastle to Edinburgh. Additionally, several services between Manchester, Leeds, and Hull were also affected.

The rail companies that have declared preemptive cancellations are as follows:

Aslef union members who work as train drivers will be going on strike on specific days for specific train companies.

Both ScotRail and Transport for Wales are not participating in the conflict.

Using past knowledge, these are the probable consequences if drivers go on strike. Please verify closer to the date of travel for confirmation.

Furthermore, not only will there be disruptions on strike days, but trains on neighboring days may also experience delays. These trains are expected to be heavily crowded as passengers may rearrange their travel plans to avoid the industrial action.

Yes. Sunday 3 December is likely to be chaotic for anyone trying to travel north-south. Almost all services on the West Coast main line, which connects London Euston with the West Midlands, northwest England, North Wales and southern Scotland, will be halted by the day’s Aslef strike.

The usual choice for most people would be to take the LNER train on the East Coast main line. However, scheduled Network Rail maintenance will result in the line being shut down below St Neots in Cambridgeshire. As a substitute, buses will be available between St Neots and Bedford, where travelers would typically transfer to a frequent Thameslink train bound for London. Unfortunately, this service will not be in operation due to the Aslef strike.

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

During periods of strike action by competing rail companies, trains are expected to be more heavily populated.

One possible scenario is that there may be increased demand for Transport for Wales routes connecting Newport, Cardiff, and Swansea, as well as for routes between Crewe and Manchester, while GWR and Avanti West Coast are experiencing a strike.

Certain train stations may limit passenger boarding or exiting in order to prevent overcrowding.

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

Passengers traveling through London Gatwick will be affected on two occasions: first, on Sunday, December 3, when Thameslink train conductors go on strike, and again on Wednesday, December 6, when Aslef employees of Gatwick Express and Southern follow suit. However, commuters between London, Gatwick, and Brighton can still expect a decent number of trains to operate, although they may be extremely busy, particularly during peak morning hours. There will be no services available on Gatwick Express trains during this time.

It is expected that London Stansted will have limited service on Tuesday, December 5th, and there will be changes to the service on the other days affected by the overtime ban.

Luton airport can be reached by train from London every day, even on days when there are strikes. On Saturday, December 2nd, when East Midlands Railway (EMR) is on strike, passengers can use Thameslink. However, on the following day, Thameslink will not be in service but EMR will be running as usual.

On Saturday, December 2nd, the only way to access Birmingham airport by rail is through Transport for Wales from Birmingham New Street. The airport is not reachable by any other train service.

On Sunday, December 3rd, the only train service available at Manchester airport is through Transport for Wales from Manchester Piccadilly, Chester, and North Wales.

On days of strike, there may be challenges in making connecting journeys, but there will be no disruptions to normal train service between London St Pancras International and Paris, Brussels, and Amsterdam.

The general secretary of Aslef, Mick Whelan, stated to The Independent that they are committed to the cause until it is resolved. He believes it is a political matter that may only be resolved with a change in government.

The majority of RMT, the primary rail union, have approved a 5% pay increase with no conditions attached, and will engage in discussions at a local level with the guarantee of no additional strikes for six months.

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

Flights within the UK from London, Bristol, Exeter, and Southampton to Newcastle, Edinburgh, and Glasgow will see a rise in prices during the scheduled strike days.

Source: independent.co.uk