Fourteen months on from the start of the very first nationwide rail strikes given that the 1980s, the conflicts in between the primary rail unions and train operators over pay, jobs and working conditions look like intractable as ever.
July saw the resumption of commercial action focused on more than a lots rail companies, which has actually continued into August.
The most significant rail union, the RMT, and Aslef, representing train drivers, state much of their members have actually not had a pay increase for 4 years. They are requiring no-strings boosts that take into consideration the high level of inflation. The unions state they are prepared to go over reforms, however these should be worked out independently. They will anticipate any modifications to be accompanied by commensurate pay increases.
Train operators and ministers – who should sign off any deal – firmly insist modernisation is necessary following the collapse of rail profits. Much of the “bedrock” of season ticket sales has actually disappeared given that the Covid pandemic. The just method to award even a modest boost, the companies state, is to money it out of performance cost savings,
Caught in the middle: the long-suffering guest. Since June 2022, nationwide rail strikes and other kinds of commercial action have actually ambushed the itinerary of 10s of countless train guests. Stoppages have actually been called often, triggering enormous interruption and making advance travel preparation hard.
These are the crucial concerns and responses.
Who is taking commercial action, and when?
The most significant rail union, the RMT, says 20,000 of its members were out on strike on Thursday 20, Saturday 22 and Saturday 29 July. Thousands of trains were cancelled every day at the start of the primary summer season school vacations in England.
No even more strikes are presently revealed. But without any development in talks given that April, and no future settlements prepared, news of fresh strikes is anticipated quickly from the RMT.
On the most recent strike day, 29 July, RMT basic secretary Mick Lynch said: “Our members keep voting for more strike action because they haven’t got a settlement we can work with.”
The train drivers’ union, Aslef, is installing “action short of a strike” in the shape of a series Monday-to-Saturday overtime prohibits. The latest started on Monday 31 July and runs till Saturday 12 August, with the exception of Sunday 6 August/
Hundreds of trains are most likely to be cancelled every day as an outcome.
Which train operators are associated with the nationwide conflicts?
The RMT strikes and Aslef overtime restrictions are focused on rail companies in England contracted by the Department for Transport. They consist of the leading intercity operators:
- Avanti West Coast
- CrossCountry
- East Midlands Railway
- Great Western Railway
- LNER
- TransPennine Express
Most London commuter operators will be struck:
- C2C (not associated with the Aslef action)
- Greater Anglia
- GTR (Gatwick Express, Great Northern, Southern, Thameslink)
- Southeastern
- South Western Railway
Operators concentrating on the Midlands and north of England will be impacted:
- Chiltern Railways
- Northern Trains
- West Midlands Railway
What is taking place about the London Underground?
The Underground, the London Overground and the Elizabeth Line are untouched by the prepared commercial action. But some paths that use options to rail services struck by commercial action, such as in south London, might be busier than typical.
Why were the July and August dates picked?
Like any unions, the RMT and Aslef are looking for the most significant effect – ie to trigger as much interruption as they can. With rail travelling dramatically down given that the Covid pandemic, the target is now leisure guests.
The RMT union’s nationwide walk-outs targeted what were most likely to be 3 of the busiest days of the month, with lots of households on the relocation at the start of school vacations in England, especially to and from seaside resorts.
The initially 2 dates likewise fell throughout the Open golf champion at Royal Liverpool Golf Club, and the 3rd hit cricket fans wanting to take a trip to London for the 5th Ashes Test in between England and Australia at the Oval.
Aslef’s rolling overtime restrictions are focused on leisure tourists in the peak vacation month.
Which trains will run throughout the Aslef commercial action and any future RMT strikes?
Passengers can anticipate typical service on:
- Caledonian Sleeper
- Grand Central (other than for lots of cancellations due to fleet concerns)
- Heathrow Express
- Hull Trains
- London Overground
- Lumo
- Merseyrail
- ScotRail
- Transport for Wales
Southeastern: The Aslef overtime restriction is not likely to strike services. Any future RMT strike days will see much minimized services. Links wil run from London Victoria to Bromley South, London Bridge to Dartford and Sevenoaks and London St Pancras International to Ashford International, Canterbury and Ramsgate, with minimized service hours.
Southern: A lowered schedule will run on all the times of commercial action, however mainly with typical hours. On Saturday 5 August there will be no trains in between London and Brighton – the area for a huge Pride event.
All seaside services, connecting Southampton and Portsmouth with Brighton, Eastbourne, Lewes and Hastings, are cancelled on Saturday.
Gatwick Express: Cancelled on all the times of commercial action, however option Southern services are available (and are more affordable).
Thameslink: The Thameslink core in between London Bridge and St Pancras International will be closed throughout all commercial action.
During the Aslef overtime restriction, an emergency situation schedule with less services will run.
On any future RMT strike days, a much-reduced service will run in between 7am and 7pm.
Southwestern: Reduced services throughout Aslef overtime restriction. On any future RMT strike day, a skeleton network will run connecting London Waterloo with Guildford, Southampton, Ascot and Hampton Court.
Great Western Railway (GWR): The Aslef overtime restriction “is likely to cause some short-notice alterations or cancellations”. All Night Riviera sleeper services have actually been cancelled for 2 weeks, resuming on 13 August.
On any future RMT strike days, a core service is most likely in between London Paddington and Oxford, Cardiff, Bath, Bristol, Exeter and Plymouth.
CrossCountry: Expect short-notice changes or cancellations throughout the Aslef overtime restriction.
On any future RMT strike day, a decreased network with absolutely nothing north of Edinburgh or west of Plymouth is most likely. Cardiff to Nottingham trains will not run, and the typical link from Birmingham to Stansted Airport will end at Peterborough.
Chiltern: Fewer trains and minimized hours throughout the Aslef overtime restriction, with extra cancellations due to engineering work –consisting of on HS2.
On any future RMT strike days the network will be minimized to a minimal service connecting London Marylebone with Aylesbury, Banbury and Oxford.
West Midlands Railway: During the Aslef train drivers’ overtime restriction, “services will be subject to on the day alterations/cancellations”.
In addition, buses will change trains on the Leamington Spa-Coventry-Nuneaton link and some Birmingham-Hereford services. Some Birmingham-Shrewsbury services will be cancelled.
Avanti West Coast: The Aslef overtime restrictions are not anticipated to have an effect. On any future RMT strike days, the basic pattern to and from London Euston will be one train each hour to/from:
- Manchester
- Liverpool (through Birmingham)
- Preston, with a minimal service onwards to Glasgow.
Northern: “Disruption is expected between 31 July and 5 August, due to industrial action called by Aslef.”
TransPennine Express: The Aslef overtime restriction will indicate some services beginning later on and completing earlier than typical, with possible night-before or on-the-day cancellations.
On any future RMT strike days an extremely minimal variety of trains will operate on the Manchester Piccadilly-Leeds-York-Scarborough path; in between Preston and Manchester Airport; and in between Sheffield and Cleethorpes.
East Midlands Railway: “There will likely be several train cancellations” – that is the forecast for the Aslef overtime prohibits. On any RMT strike days, the operator says: “Only travel by rail if absolutely necessary and if you do travel, expect severe disruption.”
LNER: During Aslef overtime restriction, the state-owned rail company serving the East Coast primary line says: “We expect to run a normal timetable during these times, however, it is possible there will be short-notice alterations and cancellations.”
On RMT strike days, LNER generally runs routine services on the London-York-Newcastle-Edinburgh path, with very first departures around 7am and last arrivals around 10pm. London-Leeds services will run around 7am-6pm.
Great Northern: “An amended timetable with fewer services will run. Services will be busier than usual, especially in peak hours. It’s likely you will need to queue and you may not be able to board your chosen service. You should allow extra time for your journey.”
Greater Anglia: “A number of cancellations” throughout the Aslef overtime restriction.
Why are all trains to Brighton cancelled for Pride?
All trains going anywhere near the Sussex city on the day of the LGBTQ+ occasion, Saturday 5 August, are cancelled. Normally GTR, the Southern/Thameslink/Gatwick Express franchise, runs lots of extra trains for the occasion, with 10s of countless additional guests. These include drivers working overtime, which will not occur this year.
The train operator says: “After exploring all possible options, and following discussions with the police, emergency services and local council, we simply cannot run a safe service with enough capacity for the extraordinary number of passengers that travel to Brighton for Pride.
“We can’t in good faith bring people into Brighton that cannot get home again, potentially leaving thousands of people stranded – safety must come first.”
But Aslef basic secretary Mick Whelan said: “The fact that GTR Thameslink has chosen not to run services for passengers on Saturday reveals that this is a clear, conscious, and deliberate decision to disrupt – and ruin – Brighton Pride.
“It is outrageous – and utterly ridiculous – to try to blame Aslef for problems which are entirely of this train company’s own making.
“The simple fact is that this company does not employ enough drivers to deliver the services it has promised passengers, businesses, and the Department for Transport it will run. That’s why it is dependent on drivers working overtime.
“The company should do the right thing – give our members, their drivers, the pay rise they deserve – and give the people of Brighton the train service they need. Not just on the Saturday of Brighton Pride. But on every day, of every week, and for the rest of this year.’
Will airport trains run during industrial action?
The Gatwick Express between the Sussex airport and London is suspended during the Aslef action, but Southern trains are available on the London Victoria-Gatwick link.
Note that Brighton will be cut off from Gatwick during the city’s Pride festivities on Saturday 5 August.
Gatwick, Luton, Stansted, Southampton, Birmingham and Manchester airports will have some trains during any future RMT walk-outs.
Heathrow airport is unaffected by the national walk-outs: it is served by the Heathrow Express and Elizabeth Line, as well as the London Underground.
Will Eurostar be affected?
No, but connections to and from the train operator’s main hub at London St Pancras International may be difficult because of industrial action at all three domestic train operators at the station (East Midlands Railway, Southeastern and Thameslink) serving the station.
Why is Aslef taking industrial action?
Mick Whelan, Aslef’s leader, said: “Once again we find ourselves with no alternative but to take this action. We have continually come to the negotiating table in good faith, seeking to resolve the dispute.
“Sadly, it is clear from the actions of both the train operating companies and the government that they do not want an end to the dispute. Their goals appear to be to continue industrial strife and to do down our industry.
“We don’t want to inconvenience the public. We just want to see our members paid fairly during a cost of living crisis when inflation is running at above 10 per cent, and to not see our terms and conditions taken away.
“It’s time for the government and the companies to think again and look for a resolution.”
Why is the RMT striking?
The RMT basic secretary Mick Lynch has actually explained the latest deal from the train operators – represented by the Rail Delivery Group (RDG) – as “substandard”. He said: “This latest phase of action will show the country just how important railway staff are to the running of the rail industry.
”The federal government continues to shackle the business and will not permit them to advance a package that can settle this disagreement.
“RMT will continue its industrial campaign until we reach a negotiated settlement on pay, working conditions and job security.
The RMT has staged walk-outs on 33 days in the current wave of strikes, with Aslef stopping work on 13 previous occasions.
What do the train operators say?
A spokesman for the RDG said: “More strikes are totally unnecessary. After a year of industrial action all the RMT has achieved is losing their members more money than they would have received in the pay offers they refused to put to put out to a vote, despite having agreed the terms with the negotiators the room.
“We have now made three offers that the RMT executive have blocked without a convincing explanation. We remain open to talks and we have said repeatedly that we want to give our people a pay rise.
“But until the union leadership and executive is united in what it wants and engages in good faith with the 30 per cent shortfall in revenue the industry is continuing to grapple with post-Covid, it is difficult to move forward.
“Sadly our staff, our customers and the communities across the country which rely on a thriving railway are the ones that are suffering as a result.”
What does the federal government state?
A representative for the Department for Transport said: “After a year of industrial action, passengers and rail workers alike are growing tired of union bosses playing politics with their lives.
“It’s high time the union leaders realised that strikes no longer have the impact they once did and are simply driving people away from the railway.”
I have actually a ticket booked for a day struck by commercial action. What can I do?
Passengers with Advance, Anytime or Off-Peak tickets can have their ticket reimbursed without any charge if the train that the ticket is booked for is cancelled, postponed or rescheduled.
Train operators are most likely to use versatility to take a trip on a large range of non-strike days.
Passengers with season tickets who do not take a trip can declare settlement for the strike dates through Delay Repay.
What are the options?
As constantly, long-distance coach operators – National Express, Megabus and Flixbus – will keep running, though seats are ending up being limited and fares are increasing.
