Rail services in Britain will be severely disrupted on Saturday by the most widespread strike by train drivers since the 1996 rail privatisation.
Members of the Aslef union will stop work for 24 hours at seven train operators, halting some parts of the network and leaving only a few trains running on some other lines.
The drivers’ strike comes three days after a national strike by members of the Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) union, including Network Rail’s signalmen and on-board crew at 14 train operators, halted most services.
The strike coincides with the opening weekend of the Commonwealth Games and the opening day of the new English Football League season.
West Midlands Trains, which serves sporting venues around Birmingham, the host city of the games, will have no services this Saturday due to the strike. However, strike action was called off at Chiltern Railways, which runs services between London and Birmingham, after Asleff agreed to hold another strike vote by its members rather than risk an injunction over objections to it.
No trains will run at all on Southeastern or most of the London Overground. Only a few trains will run on Great Western, with no Heathrow Express or GWR services west from Bristol to Wales. LNER trains will be significantly reduced, particularly through Leeds, and will not run north of Edinburgh. Only a few Greater Anglia services and one Hull Trains service in each direction will operate on Saturday.
Some disruption is expected to continue into the morning of Sunday, July 31 due to shift patterns and the side effects of the disruption.
The Rail Delivery Group (RDG), which spoke on behalf of rail operators, said the strike would disrupt the plans of millions of passengers, particularly those hoping to attend sporting events. He urged travelers to plan ahead and check the latest travel advisories.
RDG chairman, Steve Montgomery, said: “We are really disappointed that Aslef management have decided to impose even more uncertainty and disruption on passengers and businesses in a week that has already seen RMT strike action.
“Like any service or business, we need to move with the times and we can’t keep asking taxpayers or passengers for more money when instead we need to respond to the huge changes in travel behavior post-Covid.”
RDG said passengers can use any advance tickets on Friday or until Tuesday, or change their tickets or request a refund.
Montgomery urged Aslef to resume negotiations. However, Aslef general secretary Mick Whelan replied: “We’re happy to talk – but train operators say there’s nothing to say, nothing to do.”
Aslef, like sister unions the RMT and the Transport Staff Association (TSSA), say the government has prevented the industry from offering a pay rise that approaches inflation, despite ministers saying it is in the hands of employers .
The union has agreed in principle to a 6.6% increase from Transport for Wales, although this awaits ratification by members, following an 8.2% deal with Eurostar and a 5.1% increase for ScotRail.
Whelan said strikes were “always a last resort” but the union had been “forced into this position by the companies who say they were pushed into it by the Tory government”.
He said many of his members have not received a pay rise since 2019, having actually suffered a pay cut.
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The unions’ analysis was backed by London Mayor Sadiq Khan, who said the strikes were to blame for the government “interfering with rail companies who want to do a deal”.
Khan said: “The only way these disputes can be resolved is if [the transport secretary] Grant Shapps and the government stop pulling strings and allow the rail companies to talk to the unions.
A further strike by Aslef drivers is planned for 13 August, while the RMT and TSSA will take strike action on 18 and 20 August.
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