Commuters Brace for More Rail Disruption as Aslef Union Announces Strikes

Commuters across the UK are set to face another wave of strikes and rail disruption later this month as the train drivers’ union, Aslef, announces industrial action and a ban on overtime.

The ongoing pay dispute between Aslef and the Government and train operating companies has resulted in 20 months of disruption for travellers.

Aslef members will stage five days of industrial action between Tuesday, January 30, and Monday, February 5.

In addition, a ban on overtime will be implemented for nine days from January 29.

The strikes will affect 16 train operators, with each operator affected on a different day.

The disruption is expected to impact Southeastern, Southern, Gatwick Express, Great Northern, GTR Thameslink, South Western Railway main line and depot drivers, SWR Island Line, Northern Trains, TransPennine Trains, C2C, Greater Anglia, Avanti West Coast, East Midlands Railway, West Midlands Trains, Chiltern, CrossCountry, LNER, and GWR.

LNER train drivers will additionally refuse to work any non-contractual overtime from February 7 to February 10.

Aslef’s dispute over pay has been ongoing since June 2022 and the union accuses the Government of failing to engage in resolving the issue.

Aslef General Secretary Mick Whelan stated, ‘We have given the Government every opportunity to come to the table but it is now a year since we had any contact from the Department for Transport. It’s clear they do not want to resolve this dispute.’

The strikes could be the first test of new legislation aimed at ensuring a minimum level of service during industrial action.

However, Aslef has warned that the legislation could exacerbate the situation, as it may make industrial strife worse.

In response to the planned strikes, National Rail has advised passengers to expect no services on strike days and significant disruption on the days before and after.

The pay dispute has resulted in significant inconvenience for passengers, with no resolution in sight.

Aslef calls on the Government and train operators to come to the table with a realistic offer to end the dispute and ensure a future for the country’s railways.