Londoners are set for another day of train misery on Saturday as members of the Aslef train drivers’ union walkout.
The strike coincides with the FA Cup final at Wembley between Manchester United and Manchester City, Beyonce’s concert at Tottenham Hotspur’s stadium, and the Epsom Derby.
The industrial action means many of those will not be able to get to London by train and will be required to drive instead.
Saturday’s walkout will leave around only 40 per cent of the rail network running. Some services will not run at all.
The following train companies will be affected: Avanti West Coast; Chiltern Railways; CrossCountry; East Midlands Railway; Gatwick Express; Great Northern; Great Western Railway; Greater Anglia; Heathrow Express; Island Line; LNER; London Northwestern Railway; Northern; South Western Railway; Southeastern; Southern; Stansted Express; Thameslink; TransPennine Express and West Midlands Railway.
Train drivers also held a strike on Wednesday, which was followed by a strike by the RMT union on Friday in a long-running row over pay and conditions in the rail industry.
Announcing the walkouts earlier this month, Aslef general secretary Mick Whelan said: “We do not want to go on strike – we do not want to inconvenience passengers, we have families and friends who use the railway, too, and we believe in investing in rail for the future of this country – but the blame for this action lies, fairly and squarely, at the feet of the employers who have forced our hand over this by their intransigence.
“It is now up to them to come up with a more sensible, and realistic, offer and we ask the government not to hinder this process.”
Speaking to the Standard on Friday, Rail minister Huw Merriman slammed train strikes for “defying all logic to heap more misery on the travelling public”.
He accused the RMT and ASLEF unions of a “coordinated attempt to disrupt people’s summer plans”.
He urged unions to put the pay offer on the table to members for a vote.
Unions have been offered a 4% pay rise for last year and another 4% this year, which has been rejected as inadequate.
However, the Rail Delivery Group, the industry body representing train operating companies, has insisted it is a fair and reasonable deal.
An RDG spokesperson said: “The upcoming rail strikes called by the Aslef and RMT leadership will not only affect our passengers’ daily commute, but will also impact those travelling from to the FA Cup final and other events across the country, causing disappointment and frustration for tens of thousands of people.
“It will also inconvenience families who have been looking forward to and have planned their half-term holidays.
“It will also further burden our people who have already lost thousands of pounds at a time of financial strain.”
