Weeks of train disruption loom as Aslef announces overtime ban over summer holidays

Weeks of disruption loom for train passengers at the height of the summer holidays as train drivers are to stage another week-long overtime ban.

Drivers were already refusing to work overtime from Monday 31 July to Saturday 5 August in a long-running pay dispute, but the Aslef union has now announced a fresh overtime ban next month.

Union members will refuse to work overtime from Monday 7 August to Saturday 12 August, affecting services across 15 train companies in England.

Aslef claimed that none of the train companies employ enough drivers as it warned the ban will cause serious disruption to services run by the following companies:

• Avanti West Coast
• Chiltern Railways
• Cross Country
• East Midlands Railway
• Greater Anglia
• Great Western Railway
• GTR Great Northern Thameslink
• Island Line
• LNER
• Northern Trains
• Southeastern
• Southern/Gatwick Express
• South Western Railway main line
• TransPennine Express 
• West Midlands Trains

The latest ban on working overtime marks the fifth week-long Aslef has taken such action since May, with the latest ban ending on Saturday (22 July).

Mick Whelan, Aslef’s general secretary, said: “We don’t want to take this action – because we don’t want people to be inconvenienced – 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%.”

Meanwhile, members of the Rail, Maritime and Transport union (RMT) staged two strikes last week and will walk out again on Saturday (29 July) in a bitter row over pay, jobs and conditions.

A spokesperson for the Rail Delivery Group, said: “Aslef’s leadership continues to disrupt customers’ travel plans. They rejected a fair and affordable offer without putting it to their members, which would take average driver base salaries for a four day week without overtime from £60,000 to nearly £65,000 by the end of 2023 pay awards.

“Train companies will work hard to minimise the impact of the overtime ban that will affect the level of cancellations and the punctuality of some services. Customers are advised to plan their journey in advance and check the latest travel information before they travel.

“We ask Aslef to recognise the very real financial challenge the industry is facing and work with us to deliver a better, more reliable railway with a strong long-term future.”