A rail firm has warned York train passengers to expect “severe disruption” this week as union members walk out in the long running dispute over pay and conditions.
Members of train drivers’ union Aslef will walk out tomorrow (September 1) and will ban overtime on Saturday, the same day as a strike by the Rail, Maritime and Transport union (RMT).
In York no TransPennine Express, Northern, or CrossCountry services will operate tomorrow during the Aslef strike.
LNER, which operates the East Coast Main Line, has said it will be running a reduced service with approximately one train every two hours in either direction.
On Saturday the rail operators have said trains will run but with limited services in place.
They urged customers to check their route for disruption before travelling and seek alternative arrangements if possible.
Disruption is also expected on days either side of the strikes .
Kathryn O’Brien, customer service and operations director for TransPennine Express, said: “The further strike action will once again, cause severe disruption to our services, as well as those across the country.
“On Friday there will be no services at all and on Saturday we will run a very limited timetable. Those wishing to travel on the Saturday should seek alternative means and only make journeys if they are absolutely essential.”
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Aslef maintains that none of the privatised train-operating companies employs enough drivers to provide a “proper service” without drivers working on their days off.
Mick Whelan, Aslef general secretary, said: “We don’t want to take this action 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 per cent.
“The Government appears happy to let passengers – and businesses – suffer in the mistaken belief that they can bully us into submission.
“They don’t care about passengers, or Britain’s railway, but they will not break us.”
A Rail Delivery Group spokesperson said: ”Further strike action by the Aslef leadership is unnecessary and will cause more disruption to passengers looking to enjoy various sporting events and the end of the summer holidays.
“The union leadership has its head in the sand and refuses to put our fair and reasonable offer to their members.
“The offer would increase the average driver base salary for a four-day week without overtime from £60,000 to nearly £65,000 by the end of 2023.
“We want to give our staff a pay increase, but it has always been linked to implementing necessary, sensible reforms that would enhance services for our customers.
“We urge the Aslef leadership to acknowledge the substantial financial challenges facing the rail industry and work with us to achieve a more dependable and robust railway system for the future.”
The rail unions are also campaigning against controversial plans to close most railway ticket offices.
More than 300,000 people have responded to a consultation, which ends tomorrow.
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