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UK rail passengers will face major disruption – yet again – when train drivers hold a two-day strike later this month as well as an overtime ban in October.
The strike, called by the ASLEF train drivers’ union on Friday (15 September), will force the cancellation of all services on Saturday 30 September and Wednesday 4 October, while an overtime ban will cause further disruption from Monday 2 October to Friday 6 October.
The latest industrial action follows a string of walkouts, including a one-day strike earlier this month, as part of a long-drawn-out pay dispute with train operators.
The 16 companies affected by the strike are: Avanti West Coast, Chiltern Railways, c2c, CrossCountry, East Midlands Railway, Greater Anglia, GTR Great Northern Thameslink, Great Western Railway, Island Line, LNER, Northern Trains, Southeastern, Southern/Gatwick Express, South Western Railway, TransPennine Express and West Midlands Trains.
ASLEF general secretary Mick Whelan said in a statement: “While we regret having to take this action – we don’t want to lose a day’s pay, or disrupt passengers as they try to travel by train – the government, and the employers, have forced us into this position.”
He continued: “We have been unable to do a deal with the 16 train companies in England, which are controlled by the government. It’s like Tweedledee and Tweedledum. The DfT says we need to talk to the train companies while the train companies complain they cannot sneeze without the permission of the DfT.
“We will talk to anyone. But, at the moment, they will not talk to us. And each likes to blame the other. They are happy, clearly, for industrial action to continue. And for passengers to suffer.”
Aslef has so far held 12 one-day strikes during the 16-month dispute over pay, jobs and conditions, as well as implementing multiple overtime bans for its members this summer. The UK rail network has also been hit by a series of separate strikes by the RMT and other unions since summer 2022.
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