Rail users face widespread disruption as train drivers strike begins – find out affected services | UK News

news7g08/13/2022

2 4 minutes read

FILE PHOTO: A view of trains on the platform at Waterloo Station as a station worker stands nearby, on the first day of national rail strike in London, Britain, June 21, 2022. REUTERS/Henry Nicholls//File Photo

Rail passengers will need to weather widespread disruption this weekend as train drivers begin strike action today.

Aslef union members at nine train companies are leaving in 24 hours, crippling large parts of the network – with some areas of the country without service.

Football fans, tourists and holidaymakers will be among the tens of thousands of passengers affected.

While companies not involved in the strike will continue to run trains, those are expected to be busier than usual.

The industrial action will also affect services operating on Sunday morning, August 14, with those planning to travel asked to consider starting their journey later in the day.

It comes ahead of more industrial action planned in the coming weeks amid deepening disputes over employment, wages and conditions.

Aslef will install power lines outside the station, with officials saying they expect continued support from the public despite the impact of the action.

The strikes will hit Avanti West Coast, CrossCountry, Greater Anglia, Great Western Railway, Hull Trains, LNER, London Overground, South East and West Midlands Trains.

Mick Whelan, general secretary of Aslef, said train companies could not ask for a pay increase without permission from the Department of Transport and he warned if there was no breakthrough for long-term lines. , more strikes are likely to occur. .

‘Catch 22’

“We didn’t want to go on strike – strikes are always the last resort – but companies and governments forced us to act,” he said.

“We don’t want to inconvenience our passengers because our friends and family also use public transport, because we believe in building trust in UK rail and because we I don’t want to lose money by industrial actions.

“Companies have said they can’t or won’t increase our membership.

“They blame the government … while the government says it’s the train operators. So we’re stuck in a Catch-22 situation where each side blames the other.”

Aslef said the drivers who went on strike on Saturday had not received a raise in three years.

The union is also voting for drivers at Chiltern Railways, Northern Trains and TransPennine Express to go on strike, with the results due later this month.

Steve Montgomery, Chairman of the Railroad Delivery Corporation, criticized Aslef management for imposing “more uncertainty” and said he had an “open invitation” for negotiations with them.

“Railways are too important for this country to allow for a decline, but with passenger volumes still 20% below pre-pandemic levels, securing a bright future means we must adapt to attract more people back.”

He added: “We urge Aslef to the table, so we can fund the pay rise we want for our staff while also delivering improvements in Sunday services and on time. more than our passengers deserve.”

Earlier this summer, an RMT walk became Britain’s biggest rail strike in 30 years.

Members of the union RMT and TSSA will go on strike on August 18 and 20while industrial action will be taken on 19 August by London Underground and London bus drivers.

‘Completely wrong’

Meanwhile, there was continued fury over cuts to services on Sunday on the West Coast Avanti, which the company and Transport Secretary Grant Shapps blamed on Aslef’s unofficial actions, which which the union strongly denies.

A spokesman for the Department for Transport said of the schedule changes announced by the company: “People deserve and trust that their trains will run on time, and while this is not possible, this move is unlikely. avoided, it will minimize loss for passengers.

“This is a prime example of why we need to modernize our railways, so that passengers benefit from a reliable schedule that doesn’t rely on the goodwill of volunteer drivers. overtime from the very beginning.”

The Department for Transport said the claim the government was blocking the negotiations was “completely untrue”.

“We’ve said from the start that we urge unions and the industry to agree a fair deal for rail workers, passengers and taxpayers.”

The ministry pointed out that £16 billion had been spent keeping the rail line running during the height of the pandemic, adding that without that support there was a risk that companies would collapse and Thousands of jobs could be lost.

Railway workers have seen above-average wage increases over the past decade, the department said, with their wages rising by around 25% from £35,000 in 2011 to £44,000 in 2021. broader public sector. “

Services affected this weekend

West Coast Avanti: All services have been cancelled.

Chiltern Railways: “Strongly” advises customers to avoid traveling unless they have to, due to the impact of other operators. Trains are busy, with potential cancellations and short delays. A reduced service of one train per hour runs on the Aylesbury Vale Parkway – Marylebone route from noon to 8pm.

CrossCountry: No service on Saturday.

Gatwick Express: While its drivers are not prominent, services will likely be “affected” by industrial activity on the London Overground and South East.

Great Western Railway: A limited line will operate between Bristol Temple Meads – London, Paddington; Reading – Oxford; Read – Basingstoke. The schedule will start later and end earlier than usual.

Greater Anglia: Got customers to avoid having to travel with their “lots of reduction and disruption” service. One train per hour will run in each direction between London – Norwich; London – Colchester; Southend Victoria – Liverpool Street; Liverpool Street – Stansted Airport.

Heathrow Express: All services have been cancelled.

Hull Trains: A “significantly reduced” schedule is running, including a service to and from King’s Cross.

North East London Railway: No trains run north from Edinburgh Waverley, while southbound trains are limited to every two hours. No trains run north from Leeds, while only one train runs south to London King’s Cross. A northbound train every hour runs from King’s Cross, while a northbound train and a southbound train run every two hours from Newcastle.

North West London Railway: No service running.

Northern: While services are operating normally, strikes affecting other operators could keep trains busier than usual.

Southeast: All services have been canceled.

South: The airline’s drivers are not participating in Aslef’s strike, but services may be “affected” by disruptions on London Underground and South East Station.

Stansted Express: Advised customers to avoid travel on Saturday. One train runs every hour between Stansted Airport and London Liverpool Street. The engineering work means there will be a bus on the journey between Waltham Cross and Harlow Town.

Transport for Wales: While not directly affected by the strikes, services may be affected by other operators’ reduced schedules. Customers have been advised to avoid unnecessary travel between Carmarthen – Newport; Cardiff – Lydney; Shrewsbury – Wolverhampton; and North Wales Coast, as trains are expected to be busy.

West Midlands Railway: No service on Saturday.

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news7g08/13/2022

2 4 minutes read