No trains to run in or out of Brighton during Pride
It's prompted a row between operators and the rail drivers' union
Trains to and from Brighton have been cancelled during Pride weekend, sparking a row with the train drivers' union.
Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR) said it was with a "heavy heart" that services will not run on August 5th.
A statement said:
"This has been an extremely difficult decision to make due to the major impact it will have on everyone planning to attend Pride, which GTR has proudly supported for many years.
"Unfortunately, between July 31st and August 5th, train operators have been notified of an overtime ban by the Aslef union.
"In this period, GTR will be running an amended timetable with far fewer services than usual.
"As a result, there will be significantly less capacity than is required for people to travel safely on the busiest day of Pride - Saturday 5th August.
"Friday 4th and Sunday 6th August will have services.
"Every year, GTR runs a significantly enhanced service for Pride with additional late-night trains on Saturday evening.
"These enhancements are needed to safely transport the huge number of people that travel into Brighton during Pride's busiest day but also home again after the popular Saturday community parade and Fabuloso fundraiser in Preston Park.
"In normal times, these extra services are covered by drivers volunteering for overtime and, without the additional late-night services we need, there is a clear risk of stranding tens of thousands of people overnight without accommodation.
"On Saturday evening there is always a massive demand for return travel over a short period of time, with a capacity shortfall of 20,000 passengers expected in the busiest hours of the evening alone.
"Keeping passengers and colleagues safe is the absolute priority and, following discussions with the council, police and emergency services, as well as our own risk assessments, GTR has very sadly concluded that it cannot safely run any services as it would be impossible to avoid severe overcrowding and present a considerable risk to passenger safety.
"This means passengers will not be able to use rail services to get into or out of Brighton on Saturday 5th August and anyone planning to attend Pride on this day will unfortunately need to make alternative arrangements.
"Friday 4th August and Sunday 6th August are unaffected."
Chris Fowler, network operations and performance director, GTR, said:
"GTR has an extremely long-standing relationship with Pride and we are bitterly disappointed to make this unbelievably difficult decision.
"We know this will be incredibly frustrating and we're really sorry to everyone who will be impacted, particularly in the LGBTQ+ community.
"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.
"We hope by making this decision now it will allow people time to plan other options and we hope to be back supporting Pride with full services for the whole weekend next year."
Mick Whelan, general secretary of Aslef, said: "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.
"Overtime, of course, is entirely voluntary, not mandatory, and drivers are not working overtime because they are in dispute with a company which has not given them a pay increase for four years, since 2019, although the cost of living, as we all know, has soared in that time, up well into double digits.
"GTR has known the date of Brighton Pride and about its failure to employ enough drivers to deliver the services it should for a very long time.
"Yet they are only running trains to Three Bridges, just three-quarters of the way down the line, in a deliberate and malicious attempt to disrupt the LGBT+ day and then to blame Aslef for its own manifest failings.
"That is beneath contempt.
"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."
A Department for Transport spokesperson said: "It's completely disingenuous for Aslef to blame anyone but themselves for trains not being able to stop in Brighton on the Saturday of Pride weekend. If Aslef cared about impacting Pride, they could have called off their overtime ban at any point.
"The wellbeing of passengers and the capacity of local emergency services must come first and it would be nothing short of irresponsible to allow a limited number of trains to stop, knowing the expected number of passengers and the potential risk to their safety.
"This is further proof that Aslef are targeting major cultural events and another reminder of how vital it is the railway moves to a seven-day working week to prevent big events being disrupted at the whim of union leaders."