Rail passengers face recent disruption amid prepare drivers’ extra time ban

Train drivers are staging a week-long extra time ban in a dispute over pay, threatening extra disruption to rail providers.

Members of Aslef at 15 prepare firms in England will refuse to work extra time from Monday to Saturday and once more from 7-12 August.

The providers affected embrace Avanti West Coast, Chiltern Railways, Cross Country, East Midlands Railway, Greater Anglia, Great Western Railway, GTR Great Northern Thameslink, Island Line, LNER, Northern Trains, Southeastern, Southern/Gatwick Express, South Western Railway predominant line, TransPennine Express, and West Midlands Trains.

It follows strikes final week by members of the Rail, Maritime and Transport union which crippled providers.

Aslef common secretary Mick Whelan mentioned: “We don’t want to take this action, because we don’t want people to be inconvenienced, but the train companies, and the government which stands behind them, have forced us into this place because they refuse to sit down and talk to us and have not made a fair and sensible pay offer to train drivers who have not had one for four years – since 2019 – while prices have soared in that time by more than 12%.”

Mr Whelan mentioned a suggestion made in April was for a 4% pay enhance, with an additional rise depending on drivers giving up phrases and circumstances.

“We haven’t heard a phrase from the employers since then – we have not had a gathering, or a cellphone name, a textual content message, nor an e-mail – for the three months, and we have not sat down with the federal government since January 6.

“That shows how little the companies and the government care about passengers and staff. They are happy to let this go on and on.”

He added: “We are decided to get a correct enhance for women and men who have not had one for 4 years whereas inflation has been roaring away.

“Our members, perfectly reasonably, want to be able to buy now what they could buy back in 2019.”

TransPennine Express warned its clients to arrange for disruption, together with delays and short-notice cancellations.

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Customer service and operations director Kathryn O’Brien mentioned: “We are disappointed that this action will have such an impact on our customers’ journeys.

“We are anticipating important disruption to our providers for the subsequent two weeks and I’m asking all our clients to be ready for delays and cancellations throughout the community.

“We expect the disruption to be widespread and I would advise customers to check very carefully before they travel and to allow extra time for any journeys.”

A Department for Transport spokesman mentioned: “The government has met the rail unions, listened to them and facilitated improved offers on pay and reform. The union leaders should put these fair and reasonable offers to their members so this dispute can be resolved.”