Further disruption for rail services amid ongoing train drivers’ strike

The dispute started 20 months ago and remains deadlocked, with no talks planned.

Alan Jones
Monday 05 February 2024 02:45 GMT
Members of the Aslef union on a picket line (Danny Lawson/PA)
Members of the Aslef union on a picket line (Danny Lawson/PA) (PA Wire)

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Rail services will continue to be disrupted on Monday because of ongoing industrial action by train drivers in their long-running dispute over pay and conditions.

A series of strikes started last week coupled with an overtime ban which has led to widespread cancellations across England.

Aslef members at Chiltern, Great Western Railway (GWR) and CrossCountry will be on strike on Monday, leading to widespread cancellations of services.

Chiltern and CrossCountry will not run any trains on Monday, while GWR said its services will be “extremely limited”.

GWR said in a statement: “On Monday, a reduced, revised timetable will operate across several train operators, including GWR.

“Many parts of the GWR network will have no service at all and trains that are running will only be operating for a limited period during the day.”

GWR services that do run on Monday will start at 7am and finish at about 7pm.

“On the days after strikes, services could also be affected by a limited number of short-notice cancellations and alterations,” said GWR.

The dispute started 20 months ago and remains deadlocked, with no talks planned.

Aslef says it has not met transport ministers for more than a year, and employers since last April, when the union rejected a pay offer linked to changes in working practices.

Train operators and the Government insist the offer is “fair and reasonable”, and have urged the union to ballot its members.

Aslef said that regular reballots on continuing with industrial action, as required under law, have returned huge votes in favour.

The overtime ban will end on Tuesday.

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