London train strikes 2024: Aslef announces action over May Bank holiday weekend - dates and lines affected

Rails strikes are set to hit the May bank holiday weekend as train drivers at 16 different companies have voted to stage a walkout.

Aslef members will strike on May 7, 8, and 9, with an overtime ban in place from May 6. The union said that it had not met with employers or the government for the past year, accusing ministers of “giving up” on attempting to end the almost two-year pay dispute.

Drivers from several train companies will strike on different days:

• Tuesday May 7: c2c, Greater Anglia, Great Northern, Thameslink, Southeastern, Southern, Gatwick Express, South Western Railway main line and Island Line
• Wednesday May 8: Avanti West Coast, Chiltern Railways, CrossCountry, East Midlands Railway, Great Western Railway and West Midlands Trains
• Thursday May 9: LNER, Northern Trains and TransPennine Express

General secretary Mick Whelan said: “It is now a year since we sat in a room with the train companies and a year since we rejected the risible offer they made and which they admitted, privately, was designed to be rejected. We first balloted for industrial action in June 2022, after three years without a pay rise. It took eight one-day strikes to persuade the train operating companies (Tocs) to come to the table and talk.

“Our negotiating team met the Rail Delivery Group (RDG) on eight occasions – the last being on Wednesday April 26 last year. That was followed by the Tocs’ ‘land grab’ for all our terms & conditions on Thursday April 27 – which was immediately rejected.

“Since then train drivers have voted, again and again, to take action to get a pay rise. That’s why Mark Harper, the Transport Secretary, is being disingenuous when he says that offer should have been put to members. Drivers would not vote to strike if they thought an offer was acceptable.”

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A spokesperson for Rail Delivery Group said: "This wholly unnecessary strike action called by the Aslef leadership will sadly disrupt customers and businesses once again, while further damaging the railway at a time when taxpayers are continuing to contribute an extra £54 million a week just to keep services running.

“We continue to seek a fair agreement with the Aslef leadership which both rewards our people, gives our customers more reliable services and makes sure the railway isn’t taking more than its fair share from taxpayers."

Aslef said that some train drivers had not received a pay rise in five years, after their last pay deal expired in 2019. It added that after its members had overwhelmingly voted in favour of further strike action in February, the union had requested talks with the bosses.

LondonWorld has contacted the Department for Transport for comment.