The union Aslef has stated that train drivers for the Elizabeth line will go on strike in a pay dispute with their employer, MTR.
The decision to go on strike follows an 88 per cent turnout ballot in which 95 per cent of drivers supported industrial action.
Aslef union members will strike on Thursday, February 27, Saturday, March 1, Saturday, March 8, and Monday, March 10.
Aslef has also announced drivers at Hull Trains will stage a series of strikes following a dispute over the sacking of a colleague. These walkouts are due to happen every Friday between March 7 and April 25, and every Saturday between March 8 and April 26.
It comes as the Rail, Maritime and Transport Union (RMT) suspended strike action for its West Coast main line for the next three Sundays.
Hundreds of thousands of passengers who were planning to travel between London Euston, the West Midlands, north-west England, North Wales, and southern Scotland have had their plans ruined by a string of stoppages that have occurred since New Year's Eve.
The walkouts planned on Avanti West Coast are expected to continue as normal until June when there will only a skeleton service of trains will run to Wolverhampton (via Birmingham), Crewe and Manchester.
The union’s general secretary, Mick Lynch, said: “Strike action has been suspended to allow space for constructive talks. We are fully committed to using the next three weeks productively to secure a negotiated settlement in good faith.”
In January, the RMT had suspended two strike days. However, when negotiations failed to produce results, walkouts resumed.
Here’s the full information on the latest strikes and when others are scheduled for this year.
Which train services are affected?
London’s Elizabeth line and all of the Hull Trains network from London to Hull are expected to be impacted by the strikes.
Selby, Doncaster, Retford, and Grantham are among the stations served by Hull Trains, which run between Hull and London King's Cross.
The industrial action affects all of the Avanti West Coast network, resulting in a limited service between Glasgow and Preston, while no services will operate from North Wales, Blackpool and Edinburgh.
The Tube, overground, and other national rail services in London will all continue to operate normally.
When will the next train strikes be?
Aslef union members working for the Elizabeth line are set to strike on Thursday, February 27, Saturday, March 1, Saturday, March 8, and Monday, March 10.
While Aslef union members working on Hull Trains will strike on every Friday between March 7 and April 25, and every Saturday between March 8 and April 26.
RMT members who work as train station managers on the Avanti network will walk out every Sunday until June. However, the strikes for the next three Sundays have been suspended (February 16, 23 and March 2).
Why are the strikes taking place?
Train drivers for the Elizabeth line are going on strike because “MTR has decided not to recognise the input, the importance, and the value of train drivers,” says Aslef’s general secretary, Mick Whelan.
The MTR Corporation runs the Elizabeth Line.
MTR had offered its drivers a 4.5 per cent salary rise, in line with previous wage agreements reached by train drivers. The managing director, Mike Bagshaw, responded, saying he was “disappointed that drivers on the Elizabeth line have rejected a 4.5 per cent pay rise and voted for industrial action”.
Drivers for Hull Trains are striking following a dispute over the sacking of a colleague after they raised a safety concern about fatigue, a claim Hull Trains denies.
A spokesperson for Hull Trains said in a statement it had not been “officially directly notified of any industrial action” and there was “no planned disruption” to services at present.
Meanwhile, the RMT dispute is over rest-day working and payments for overtime.
An RMT spokesperson previously said: “It is wholly unacceptable that replacement managers can be paid around £500 per shift, about double what our Avanti members earn, while not providing the same service for passengers.
“This kind of destructive approach has been seen time and again across train-operating companies and is a hangover from the previous Conservative government, which encouraged practices that reward managers with excessive payouts instead of resolving disputes.
“Reaching a fair settlement would be more cost-effective and make far better use of Avanti’s resources.
“At the heart of the problem is a serious staff shortage, which is why there’s such a heavy reliance on overtime in the first place.”
