Get ready for week of travel chaos as overtime ban starts tomorrow
Rail passengers are being warned to expect disruption next week due to an overtime ban by train drivers in the Aslef union.
Some 16 train companies will be affected between Monday, July 3, and Saturday, July 8, with many set to reduce their service levels.
Most train companies rely on drivers working overtime to be able to run their full schedules.
It’s the latest move in Aslef’s long-running dispute over pay, with strikes by other rail workers in the RMT union set to take place later this month, the BBC reports.
Last month Aslef members at 10 operators voted for further strike action – which could last for another six months.
They’re striking over both pay and changes to working conditions, which both employers and the government say are needed to cut costs and modernise the railway.
An offer to increase pay by 4% two years in a row, contingent on those changes, has been rejected.
Aslef says members shouldn’t have to sacrifice working conditions for a below inflation wage increase.
Some of the disruption expected includes South Western Railway, which says it will run a reduced timetable with some first and last trains cancelled.
Northern says some services will start later and finish earlier than usual, and Great Western Railway expects some short-notice cancellations, while its Night Riviera Sleeper service won’t run until Sunday.
Chiltern Railways is telling customers to only travel if absolutely essential on Saturday. Its trains won’t stop at the station near Wembley Stadium, where Blur are set to perform.
The train companies which will definitely be affected are:
- Chiltern Railways
- Gatwick Express
- Greater Anglia
- Great Western Railway
- Great Northern
- Southern
- South Western Railway and Island Line
- Thameslink
- TransPennine Express
There are also a number of operators which could be affected. They’re currently planning to run their full timetable, but warn there could be short notice cancellations:
- Avanti West Coast
- CrossCountry
- East Midlands Railway
- LNER
- London Northwestern Railway
- Northern
- Southeastern
- West Midlands Railway
The train companies which are not affected and are expected to run as normal are:
- c2c
- Caledonian Sleeper
- Grand Central
- Elizabeth line
- Heathrow Express
- Hull Trains
- London Overground
- Merseyrail
- ScotRail
- Transport for Wales
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