Possible rewording: Get the details on the train strike dates for February and March and how it might affect your commute.

The conflict between Aslef, the union for train drivers, and 14 train companies in England has been ongoing for three years now.

The union has initiated its initial strikes for 2024 as the ongoing dispute over salary and work agreements remains unresolved.

As part of a week-long strike, Aslef train operators will be halting their work in various regions from January 30th to February 5th. This will result in the cancellation of numerous trains each day.

The impact is worsened by a suspension of overtime for nine consecutive days, starting from 29 January to 6 February.

Mick Whelan, the general secretary of Aslef, has reported that some members have not received an increase in pay for a period of five years. Additionally, the union has not been able to engage with government ministers for a full year.

The Independent was informed by him that any form of work stoppage is extremely harmful. However, with 18 months of being on strike and no communication from the government or train companies, they feel compelled to bring attention to their concerns.

The Independent reported that Huw Merriman, the rail minister, stated that strikes hinder the progress of the railway. He believes that a fair and reasonable proposal has been presented to Aslef, and it is up to them to present it to their members.

These train operators have paid an average of £60,000 for a four-day work week totaling 35 hours. The agreed upon pay would increase their earnings to £65,000.

We are optimistic that they will seize the chance to do so. This will allow us to discuss the advantages of rail.

Separately, the 14 train operators have reached a tentative agreement with the RMT union that has put an end to walk-outs while talks continue on a local level. But the RMT has called two 48-hour strikes in February and March on the London Overground.

These are the main inquiries and responses.

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

Intercity operators:

Operators of commuter services in Southeast England

Operators who are concentrated on the Midlands and northern regions of England.

ScotRail, Transport for Wales, Transport for London (including the Elizabeth Line), Merseyrail, and “open-access” operators like Grand Central, Hull Trains, and Lumo will not be affected by the strike. However, their services may experience high levels of congestion on routes where they overlap with the companies on strike.

The overtime ban will commence on Monday, January 29.

On Tuesday, January 30th, South Western Railway, Southeastern, and GTR (Southern, Gatwick Express, Great Northern, and Thameslink) will be operating.

On Wednesday, January 31, the Northern and TransPennine Express services will be available.

On Thursday, February 1st, there will be no strike, but the ban on overtime will still be in effect.

On Friday, February 2nd, train services will be provided by Greater Anglia, C2C, and LNER.

Saturday 3 February: West Midlands Trains, Avanti West Coast and East Midlands Railway.

There will not be a strike on Sunday, February 4th, but the overtime ban will remain in effect.

On Monday, February 5th, trains on the Great Western, CrossCountry, and Chiltern lines will be running.

On Tuesday, February 6th, there will be no strike, but the overtime ban will continue for one more day.

These forecasts are derived from the most recent announcements made by railway companies and The Independent’s analysis of past strikes. It is recommended to verify them before embarking on your journey.

On January 30th, the Great Northern shuttle service will only stop at London Kings Cross and Cambridge. It may also be called Thameslink and will have restricted hours of operation.

On January 30th, Thameslink will have a shuttle service that only stops at St Pancras, Luton Airport Parkway, and Luton. The company states that their trains will be very crowded and that there will be queueing systems in operation.

Thameslink states that it is possible you will not be able to get on the train you have selected. If you are intending to travel on one of the final trains of the day, keep in mind that you may not be able to board any service due to the length of the line. Additionally, there will be no alternate means of transportation offered after the last train leaves. It is recommended to plan ahead and give yourself ample time to arrive at your desired location.

On January 30th, Southern trains will not be running except for a continuous shuttle between London Victoria and Gatwick airport. The shuttle service will operate from 6am until 11:30pm.

On January 30th, Gatwick Express is being operated by the Southern airport shuttle service.

On January 30th, there will be no train services in the Southeastern region.

On January 30th, South Western Railway offers a relatively comprehensive service in comparison to other train companies.

On January 31st, there will be no train services available. The operator has stated that they anticipate high levels of traffic on February 3rd due to a strike by East Midlands Railway. The affected routes are expected to be Leeds-Sheffield-Nottingham and Sheffield-Manchester.

On January 31st, TransPennine Express will not be running any trains. The company has announced that there will be changes to evening services on January 30th and early morning services on February 1st.

On February 2nd, there will be no trains operating. The company has issued a warning that the car park at Upminster will most likely reach maximum capacity and close early in the day. Upminster is the last stop on the eastern end of the District Line on the London Underground, and service will not be affected.

On February 2nd, Greater Anglia will have a limited service connecting London Liverpool Street to Norwich, Ipswich, and Colchester, as well as Southend Victoria, Cambridge, and Stansted airport.

On February 2nd, the LNER will have consistent trains running on main routes connecting London King’s Cross with Doncaster, York, Newcastle, and Edinburgh. The first train will depart at approximately 8am and the majority of trips will conclude by 7pm. There will be a restricted direct service to Leeds, but passengers can make connections at Doncaster.

On 3 February, Avanti West Coast will not be running any trains. The operator has announced that services on the days before and after the strike will also experience disruptions.

On February 3rd, East Midlands Railway will not be running any trains. The company has stated that they will not be offering any rail replacement bus services. Other train companies may also have a limited service due to an overtime restriction.

On February 3rd, West Midlands Railway announced that there would be no trains running. They also cautioned that on Sunday, February 4th, there would likely be significant delays and cancellations for their services.

On February 5th, there will be no trains running due to a strike. This is also true for Sunday, February 4th, as the train operator relies on drivers working overtime that day to operate any trains. The ban on overtime means that no services will be available.

There will be no train service on February 5th for CrossCountry.

On February 5th, Great Western Railway will have a core service operating between London Paddington and Oxford, Bath, and Bristol. There will also be a connecting service from Bristol to Cardiff. However, there will be a limited service on branch lines in Devon and Cornwall. The Night Riviera sleeper service from London to Penzance will be temporarily suspended for several nights.

Furthermore, there may be disruptions on days adjacent to the strike, and train services during these days may also experience high levels of congestion as passengers try to avoid the industrial action.

Under the current legislation, the secretary of transportation has the authority to establish minimum service requirements (MSLs) on days when there are strikes. These MSLs must amount to at least 40% of the regular service. The government has stated that the Strikes (Minimum Service Levels) Act of 2023 is intended to guarantee that the public can still access essential services during strike periods.

None of the train companies are attempting to enforce the new law on the train drivers’ union. LNER stated that they may consider doing so and initiated discussions, after which Aslef declared a separate five-day strike specifically for LNER. Subsequently, the train company announced that they would not mandate drivers to work, resulting in the cancellation of the strike.

According to the BBC, the prime minister is displeased with train operators for not enforcing minimum service requirements. A spokesperson from Downing Street stated, “We and the public expect them to utilize these measures.”

“We have consistently emphasized that this legislation is accessible for train operators to utilize.”

The Transport Select Committee has previously expressed concern about possible unintended outcomes of the law. Conservative chair, Iain Stewart, stated that there is a possibility of MSLs damaging the relationship between workers and employers, ultimately leading to a decrease in service reliability.

The regulations for minimum service level do not pertain to restrictions imposed by unions on working on days off without a contract.

Yes. In terms of sheer number of passengers hit, Tuesday 30 January is the most disruptive. It is aimed at commuters in southeast England, the majority of whom use the affected train operators. Normally Southern, Thameslink, Great Northern, South Western Railway and Southeastern carry around 40 per cent of all passengers.

On Friday, February 2 and Saturday, February 3, intercity travelers will face the most challenges as the main operators on the East Coast and West Coast main lines, as well as the Midland main line, will be impacted.

Sunday 4 February is also likely to be severely disrupted mainly because of the ban on rest-day working. Chiltern Railway, which would normally run trains between London and Birmingham, says no services will run at all due to the overtime ban.

Scheduled maintenance will cause increased disruptions between Birmingham and Wolverhampton on the West Coast main line, as well as between London King’s Cross and Stevenage on the East Coast main line.

The ban on working overtime will result in numerous cancellations. Aslef claims that train companies do not have a sufficient number of drivers to fulfill their promises of service to passengers and businesses, without requiring drivers to work on their scheduled days off.

Some train operators still do not include Sundays as part of the working week. As a result, the ban on working on rest days will cause significant disruptions on February 4th.

According to GWR, travel disruptions are expected and customers are advised to consider alternate travel days. Trains will not be running on long-distance routes between London Paddington and Bristol, South Wales, and Exeter/Plymouth/Penzance.

Multiple railway companies have declared advance cancellations in response to the previous ban on overtime, as listed below:

On weekends, there will be significantly reduced service, and on weekdays, many trains will also be eliminated.

Chiltern Railway has implemented major reductions in service on multiple routes, including complete suspension of train operations on certain branch lines. Additionally, all services will end earlier than usual. It should be noted that no trains will be in operation on Sunday, February 4th.

The Gatwick Express service will not be running due to a ban on overtime. However, Southern trains will still operate between London Victoria and Gatwick airport during the industrial action.

The branch lines connecting Bletchley and Bedford, Watford Junction and St Albans Abbey, and Leamington Spa and Nuneaton will be closed for the majority of days.

Revised schedule will have fewer services and may have delayed start and early end times.

Thameslink is cautioning that a revised schedule with reduced frequency will be implemented.

Certain stations may limit the ability to board or exit trains in order to prevent overcrowding.

You can always access London Heathrow via the Heathrow Express, the Elizabeth Line, and the Tube.

On Tuesday, January 30th, passengers traveling through London Gatwick will experience major disruptions due to strikes. The Gatwick Express and Thameslink train services will not be running, but a Southern shuttle service between London and Gatwick will still be available. Additionally, on January 30th, the GWR link from Gatwick to Redhill, Guildford, and Reading will operate as usual, but will not be running on February 5th.

On Tuesday, February 2, London Stansted will have a limited hourly service from the capital due to an overtime ban. There will also be service changes on all other days of the ban. The link to Norwich will not be available on February 2, but CrossCountry trains to Cambridge and Birmingham will still operate. However, on February 5, there will be no CrossCountry trains running to Stansted airport or any other destination.

Luton airport will remain accessible by rail, at least from London, on all days: on the Thameslink strike day, 30 January, Thameslink will have a reduced service from London St Pancras to Luton Airport Parkway. In addition, the East Midlands Railway link will be running. On 3 February, when no East Midlands Railway services are likely to run, Thameslink will be operating.

On Friday, February 2nd, there will be hourly train service at Southend airport with limited operating hours.

On Tuesday, January 30, South Western Railway will not be providing service to Southampton airport. Additionally, on Monday, February 5, CrossCountry will also not be serving the airport.

On Wednesday, January 31, Manchester airport will experience a significant decrease in its train service. Due to a strike by Northern and TransPennine Express drivers, there will only be hourly transportation available through Transport for Wales to and from central Manchester, Chester, and North Wales.

On Saturday, February 3rd, Birmingham airport will most likely not be accessible by train, except for Transport for Wales from Birmingham New Street.

Trains will operate normally between London St Pancras International and Paris, Brussels, and Amsterdam. However, it may be challenging to make connecting trips on strike days, especially on Tuesday, January 30th when Thameslink and Southeastern are not in service, and on Saturday, February 3rd when there will likely be no East Midlands Railway trains running.

During a recent interview with The Independent, Mick Whelan, the general secretary of Aslef, expressed his concern over the lack of pay increases in the past five years. He posed the question of whether or not action should be taken.

“The only solution to our situation is a fair agreement.”

He predicts that without an agreement, the situation will become chaotic and deteriorate.

A representative from Rail Delivery Group, which speaks for train companies, stated that the strikes will bring about inconvenience for customers and there are no positive outcomes. They believe that the future of rail is promising, however, taxpayers are currently providing an additional £54m per week to maintain services after the Covid pandemic.

The leaders of Aslef must acknowledge the financial difficulties that the rail industry is facing. They have presented a proposal to drivers that would increase their base salaries to almost £65,000 for a four-day work week, not including overtime. This amount is significantly higher than the national average and many of our customers who are unable to work from home.

The government is urging the Aslef leadership to collaborate with them in finding a solution to the ongoing dispute, rather than resorting to further harmful industrial action. The goal is to reach a satisfactory agreement that benefits both employees and improves the reliability of services.

A representative from the Department of Transport expressed disappointment at Aslef’s continued targeting of train commuters for work, school, and medical purposes.

“Aslef is now the only rail union that is continuing to strike while refusing to put a fair and reasonable offer to its members. The offer that remains on the table and would bring the average train driver’s salary up to £65,000.

The leaders of Aslef should allow their members to determine their own future rather than making the decision for them.

Labour’s shadow transport secretary, Louise Haigh, expressed disbelief that the transport secretary has not made an effort to meet with unions to address the issue since the previous Christmas.

The Labour party will have a distinct approach from the Tories and will collaborate with both parties to come to an agreement that benefits passengers and workers. If the transport secretary adopted this logical approach, there would likely be less strikes on our railways.

Stephen Morgan MP, the opposition spokesperson for rail, has stated that the Labour party plans to return the railways to public ownership and prioritize the needs of passengers as contracts come to an end.

Over the course of two weeks, starting on 19th of February 2024, over 300 RMT members will participate in two 48-hour strikes on Mondays and Tuesdays on the London Overground. This includes employees in security, station operations, revenue, and control positions.

The RMT reported that Arriva Rail London, the company responsible for London Overground, has proposed a pay offer that is lower than the current inflation rate.

The general secretary of the RMT, Mick Lynch, stated that if the issue at hand cannot be resolved, the RMT is fully prepared to engage in ongoing industrial action in order to secure a fair pay increase for London Overground employees.

The Independent has reached out to the Department for Transport and Arriva Rail London for a statement.

Source: independent.co.uk