December train strikes 2023: Dates rail services will be affected - including Aslef walkouts, London journeys & National Rail

A number of strikes will be taking place throughout December by train drivers which will cause cancellations and delays for passengers. Aslef’s train drivers will stage walkouts and overtime bans in their long-running dispute over pay.

Union members at 16 train operating companies in England will walk out on different days between December 2 and 8, and all members will refuse to work any overtime from 1 to 9 December. The union said it had previously called all its members out on strike on the same day but by spreading the action the ramifications will be "greater".

ASLEF says the new walkouts will "ratchet up the pressure" on train companies and the government to give train drivers their first pay rise in more than four years. The union's general secretary Mick Whelan said: "We are determined to win this dispute and get a significant pay rise for train drivers who have not had an increase since 2019, while the cost of living, in that time, has soared.”

The government has criticised the union and train operators for not putting the latest pay offer to its members for a vote. However, Mr Whelan responded: “The transport secretary, who has gone missing in action during this dispute, says we should put the offer to our members. What the minister apparently fails to understand is that, since the Rail Delivery Group's (RDG) risible offer in April, we have received overwhelming mandates, on enormous turnouts, for more industrial action.”

The full list of the services affected by strikes and when they are taking place are below. NationalWorld will keep this article updated with the latest action that will affect train journeys over the Christmas period.

Saturday, December 2

• East Midlands Railway

• London North Eastern Railway

Sunday, December 3

• Avanti West Coast

• Chiltern

• Great Northern Thameslink

• West Midlands Trains

Tuesday, December 5

• C2C

• Greater Anglia

Wednesday, December 6

• Southeastern

• Southern/Gatwick Express

• South Western Railway (main line and depot)

• Island Line

Thursday, December 7

• CrossCountry

• Great Western Railway

Friday, December 8

• Northern

• TPT

Transport for London

The DLR will be closed from Canary Wharf to Poplar and Westferry from December 23 to 26. On Christmas Eve, London Underground, Docklands Light Railway, Elizabeth line, London Overground and London Trams will finish earlier than normal. 

Also on Christmas Eve, the Elizabeth line will be reduced from Ealing Broadway to Maidenhead and will not stop at Heathrow T4. It will not run on Boxing Day. 

The Bakerloo line will not run from Queen’s Park to Harrow and Wealdstone on Boxing Day, nor will the DLR from Canary Wharf to Poplar and Westferry. There will be a reduced service on the Elizabeth line on December 27.

National Rail

These are the franchise holders not providing their full service on the days below. 

December 23

CrossCountry, London Northwestern Railway, Northern, Southeastern, Southern and TransPennine Express.

December 24

Avanti West Coast, c2c, Caledonian Sleeper, Chiltern Railways, CrossCountry, East Midlands Railway, Gatwick Express, Heathrow Express, Hull Trains, LNER, London Northwestern Railway, Lumo, Merseyrail, Northern, South Western Railway, Southeastern, Southern, Thameslink, TransPennine Express, West Midlands Railway.

December 25

On Christmas Day there will be no public transport at all. 

December 26

Avanti West Coast, c2c, Caledonian Sleeper, Chiltern Railways, CrossCountry, East Midlands Railway, Gatwick Express, Heathrow Express, Hull Trains, LNER, London Northwestern Railway, Lumo, Merseyrail, Northern, South Western Railway, Southeastern, Southern, Stansted Express, Thameslink and TransPennine Express.

December 27

Avanti West Coast, C2c, Chiltern Railways, CrossCountry, East Midlands Railway, Gatwick Express, Heathrow Express, Hull Trains, LNER, London Northwestern Railway, Lumo, Northern, South Western Railway, Southeastern, Southern, Stansted Express, Thameslink, TransPennine Express, and West Midlands Railway.

December 28

Avanti West Coast, C2c, Chiltern Railways, CrossCountry, East Midlands Railway, Gatwick Express, London Northwestern Railway, Lumo, Northern, South Western Railway, Southeastern, Southern, Stansted Express, Thameslink and West Midlands Railway.

December 29

C2c, Caledonian Sleeper, Chiltern Railways, CrossCountry, East Midlands Railway, Gatwick Express, London Northwestern Railway, Lumo, Northern, South Western Railway, Southeastern, Southern, Stansted Express, Thameslink, TransPennine Express and West Midlands Railway.

December 30

Avanti West Coast, CrossCountry, LNER, London Northwestern Railway, Lumo, Northern, Southeastern, Southern, Thameslink, TransPennine Express andWest Midlands Railway.

December 31

Avanti West Coast, Caledonian Sleeper, Chiltern Railways, CrossCountry, East Midlands Railway, LNER, London Northwestern Railway, Lumo, Merseyrail, Northern, South Western Railway, Southeastern, Southern, Stansted Express, Thameslink, TransPennine Express and West Midlands Railway.