December train strikes: dates and services affected

Union general secretary Mick Whelan says Aslef is «determined to win this dispute and secure a significant pay rise for train drivers.» Photo: Chris J. Ratcliffe/Bloomberg

Passengers are facing a new wave of strikes and rail disruptions as train drivers prepare to go on strike again in the run-up to Christmas.

The disruptions are the latest blow for travelers who have endured 18 months of disruption since unions began a wage dispute with the government and train companies.

Here's everything you need to know about the next wave of strikes:

When will the train strikes happen and which train companies will be affected? ?

Unlike previous strikes, during the next wave of actions different operators will walk out on different days throughout the country.

Strikes will take place on the following dates:

December 2 — EMR and LNER

December 3 – Avanti West Coast, Chiltern, Great North Thameslink and WMT

December 5 – C2C and Greater England

December 6 – South East, South/Gatwick -express, main line and SWR depot, as well as on the island line

December 7 — CrossCountry and GWR

December 8 — Northern and TPT

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December 1-9 — All Aslef members will refuse to work overtime from Friday, December 1 to Saturday, December 9.

I thought the train strikes were sorted out. Why are there more of them?

During the 18-month dispute, Aslef has carried out 14 one-day strikes, causing huge disruption to services across the country.

Strikes have also been carried out since June 2022 by members of the railway union, Maritime Transport and Transport (RMT). However, they are now voting on an agreement aimed at resolving their dispute.

The agreement calls for the union to suspend its strike until at least April in exchange for a retroactive payment offer that would see all members receive a one-time payment. an amount of at least £1,750 before the Christmas holidays.

Advice for traveling during train strikes

National Rail has not yet provided an update on the latest strikes, but has previously warned passengers to expect «significant disruption» during strike days .

National Rail recommends that passengers:

• Use the Trip Planner. Passengers should check the times of each strike.
• Use the Live Trains page for the most up-to-date arrival and departure information.
• Plan ahead and check before travel. . This includes checking your entire journey, especially if you are traveling on the first and last train on strike days.

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Aslef general secretary Mick Whelan said: “We are determined to win this fight and secure a significant pay rise for train drivers, who have not had a rise since 2019 , while the cost of living has risen sharply during this time.”

«The Minister for Transport, who has been missing in action during this controversy, says we must take this proposal to our members.

» The Minister does not seem to understand that, since Rail Delivery Under the ridiculous proposal Group (RDG) in April we received the overwhelming majority of mandates with a huge turnout for new strikes.

“Our members have spoken and we know what they think. Every time they vote — and they voted overwhelmingly — to strike for a proper wage increase, it is a clear repudiation of the proposal made in April.

“The RDG proposal is a land grab for all our provisions and conditions — was made in the full knowledge that it could not and would not be accepted.»

London's most commuter city

Aslef said that in the last 12 months it had successfully negotiated wage agreements with 14 companies, including freight firms, public access operators, Eurostar and passenger companies in Scotland and Wales where transport matters are referred.

He added that: “This is a dispute in England brought in Westminster by the Tory government.

“We gave the railway companies (TOC) a way out of this dispute, which they chose not to accept because the government intervened.

“We have proposed significant overall rate increases for all drivers across all participating companies to deal with the cost of living crisis.”

“Other issues, we said it would then be possible to have deal with each company, because the conditions in each company are different.

“Uncoupling the cars, so to speak, would give the TOC and the government a way out, and give us the opportunity to decide at the company board level any changes and performance that they want.

“Some TOC have Sundays in the work week, some don’t. One size does not, cannot and will not fit all.

“We will continue to strike until the railroad companies — and/or the government — sit down and negotiate with us in good faith.” .