Train services across the South West impacted by action short of a strike
Aslef train drivers start an overtime ban - which lasts until Saturday - before resuming for the same period next Monday over a long-running pay dispute
Train services across the South West are set to be impacted between today (Aug 31) and Saturday this week, as drivers at 15 operators - including Great Western Railway and South Western Railway - take part in action short of a strike.
It means there's an overtime ban for drivers, which is all part of a campaign of action in their long-running dispute over pay.
The action will then resume again next Monday until August 12.
Swindon-based Great Western Railway is urging passengers to check trains are running before getting to the station, and are warning some services may not run at all.
The Aslef union says its members involved in the dispute have not had a pay rise for four years, and claims the overtime ban will seriously disrupt services.
They've added that none of the operators employ enough drivers to operate the trains.
The latest round of action impacts the following operators:
- Avanti West Coast
- Chiltern Railways
- CrossCountry
- East Midlands Railway
- Greater Anglia
- Great Western Railway
- GTR Great Northern Thameslink
- Island Line
- LNER
- Northern Trains
- Southeastern
- Southern / Gatwick Express
- South Western Railway main line
- TransPennine Express
- West Midlands Trains
Aslef general secretary Mick Whelan said: "We don't want to take this action, because we don't want people to be inconvenienced, but the train companies, and the Government which stands behind them, have forced us into this place because they refuse to sit down and talk to us and have not made a fair and sensible pay offer to train drivers who have not had one for four years - since 2019 - while prices have soared in that time by more than 12%."
Mr Whelan said an offer made in April was for a 4% pay increase, with a further rise dependent on drivers giving up terms and conditions.
"We have not heard a word from the employers since then - we haven't had a meeting, or a phone call, a text message, nor an email - for the three months, and we haven't sat down with the Government since January 6.
"That shows how little the companies and the Government care about passengers and staff. They are happy to let this go on and on.
"We are determined to get a proper increase for men and women who haven't had one for four years while inflation has been roaring away.
"Our members, perfectly reasonably, want to be able to buy now what they could buy back in 2019."
Customer service and operations director of TransPennine Express, Kathryn O'Brien, said: "We are disappointed that this action will have such an impact on our customers' journeys.
"We are anticipating significant disruption to our services for the next two weeks and I'm asking all our customers to be prepared for delays and cancellations across the network.
"We expect the disruption to be widespread and I would advise customers to check very carefully before they travel and to allow extra time for any journeys."
A Department for Transport spokesman said: "The Government has met the rail unions, listened to them and facilitated improved offers on pay and reform. The union leaders should put these fair and reasonable offers to their members so this dispute can be resolved."
The overtime ban follows strikes last week by members of the Rail, Maritime and Transport union which crippled services.
You can find more about industrial action on the GWR website, South Western Railway website, or via National Rail.