Travel news: Travellers face severe disruption as train driver strike begins

Members of the Aslef union throughout 9 operators are staging a walkout over a pay dispute.

Resulting from this, massive elements of the rail community might be dropped at a standstill with disruption anticipated to run into Sunday.

The strike motion will impression Avanti West Coast, CrossCountry, Better Anglia, Nice Western Railway, Heathrow Categorical, Hull Trains, LNER, London Northwestern Railway, London Overground, Southeastern, Stansted Categorical, West Midlands Railway companies.

TfL has stated that there might be no service on the London Overgound in the course of the day or night time. Companies are usually not expcted to achieve a superb stage till noon on Sunday.

Mick Whelan, Aslef’s basic secretary, stated union members had been “compelled” to take strike motion because of the failure of negotiations with practice firms.

“We don’t wish to go on strike – strikes are at all times a final resort – however the firms, and the federal government, have compelled our hand,” he stated.

“The businesses have stated that they can’t, or won’t, give our members a rise.

“They blame the federal government… whereas the federal government says it’s all the way down to the practice operators. So we’re caught in a Catch-22 scenario the place either side blames the opposite.”

Steve Montgomery, chairman of the Rail Supply Group, criticised Aslef management for imposing “but extra uncertainty” and stated he had an “open invitation” for talks with them.

“The railway is simply too essential to this nation to permit decline,” he stated, “however, with passenger numbers nonetheless 20% under pre-pandemic ranges, securing a vibrant future means now we have to adapt to draw extra folks again.”

He added: “We name on Aslef to come back to the desk, so we are able to fund the pay rise we wish to give our folks whereas delivering the enhancements in Sunday companies and larger punctuality our passengers deserve.”

Members of the RMT and TSSA unions will staged walkout across the rail network on August 18 and 20. A seperate strike will also take place on August 19 by Undergound and London bus drivers.