Train Drivers to take three days of strike action

Train drivers at 15 companies will be taking strike action on Friday 12 May, Wednesday 31 May, and Saturday 3 June 2023 in a long-running dispute.

Which companies will be affected?

Avanti West Coast; Chiltern Railways; CrossCountry; East Midlands Railway; Great Western Railway; Greater Anglia; GTR Great Northern Thameslink; London North Eastern Railway; Northern Trains; Southeastern; Southern/Gatwick Express; SWR depot drivers; SWR Island Line; TransPennine Express, and West Midlands Trains.

Why are drivers taking strike action?

ASLEF members at these train companies have been in dispute for almost a year over the failure of management to offer a fair deal on pay. Most of the drivers have not had a pay increase at all since 2019 and with inflation still well over 10% and the cost of living spiralling, this is not acceptable.

Read more about the background to the dispute here.

What about modernisation?

Train drivers and ASLEF as a union are in favour of modernising the industry. We're keen to negotiate on a range of industrial issues that would make running the railway more efficient.

Lots of modernisation and changes to how drivers work have already been agreed at different companies - everything from using tablet computers to Sundays being part of the standard working week. These agreements were made because negotiations took place in good faith and drivers were compensated fairly (for example with a higher basic rate of pay) to bring it about. Sometimes this is called 'selling productivity'.

Drivers won't accept modernisation forced upon them with no compensation, and they won't accept a return to draconian Victorian conditions or being expected to work harder, for longer, for less. All workers deserve better than that.

Will rail services be running?

ASLEF represents more than 96% of train drivers so it is very unlikely services will run on the strike dates. If you are a passenger you are advised to contact your train operating company.