Weekend disruption to rail services

RAIL travellers will be affected by staff strikes this weekend.

Members of the Associated Society of Locomotive Engineers and Firemen, the train drivers’ union, have planned industrial action on Friday and Saturday, coupled with a six-day overtime ban, which will disrupt services.

Today, Great Western Railway services will operate throughout the day but there will be some short-notice alterations and cancellations.

On Saturday, an extremely limited service will operate. Services will start at 7am and will end by 7pm.

Due to engineering works, there will also be no trains between London Paddington and Reading. However, a very limited service will be available between Reading and Oxford.

Members of the union will also reduce their rest days from Saturday to Tuesday, which could cause more delays and cancellations.

Customers who have purchased tickets but do not travel can claim a full refund or amend their tickets. Those who travel and are delayed may be entitled to compensation if they are delayed by 15 minutes or more.

Tickets for travel between Friday and Monday can be used the day before or up to and including Wednesday.

The union is striking over pay and working arrangements, which began in July 2022.

Train drivers are demanding a pay rise to reflect high levels of inflation since they last won an increase and ASLEF says some members have not had an increase in five years.

General secretary Mick Whelan said: “Last month, when we announced renewed mandates for industrial action, because, under the Tories’ draconian anti-union laws, we have to ballot our members every six months, we called on the train companies and the Government to come to the table for meaningful talks to negotiate a new pay deal for train drivers who have not had an increase in salary since 2019.

“Our members voted overwhelmingly — yet again — for strike action. Those votes show, yet again, a clear rejection by train drivers of the ridiculous offer put to us in April last year by the Rail Delivery Group which knew that offer would be rejected because of a land grab for all the terms and conditions we have negotiated over the years and it would never be accepted by our members.

“Since then, train drivers have voted, time and again, to take action in pursuit of a pay rise. That’s why Mark Harper, the Transport Secretary, is being disingenuous when he says that offer should have been put to members.”

A Department for Transport spokesman said: “ASLEF is the only rail union continuing to strike, targeting passengers and preventing its own members from voting on the pay offer that remains on the table.

“Having resolved disputes with all other rail unions, the Transport Secretary and rail minister have ensured that a pay offer is on the table, taking train drivers’ average salaries from £60,000 up to £65,000.”