Train drivers strikes april: Third strike in four days leaves services at a standstill on busy routes

Trains on among the busiest routes within the nation have been left at a standstill due to one other strike by drivers of their long-running pay dispute.

Commuters on providers into London had been amongst passengers struggling Monday morning journey distress.

Members of Aslef walked out for the third strike prior to now 4 days, crippling providers, particularly in East Anglia and the South East.

The motion at present is affecting c2c, Gatwick Specific, Higher Anglia, Southeastern, Southern, South Western Railway, Nice Northern and Thameslink.

Aslef is embroiled in a close to two-year lengthy dispute over pay, with no signal of a breakthrough and no talks deliberate. Final week, Aslef common secretary Mick Whelan informed The Impartial that April’s strikes received’t be the final.

The union says the dispute has price the trade greater than £2 billion, far more than it might have price to resolve the battle.

South Western Railway stated a considerably diminished service will function on a small variety of strains, whereas the remainder of its community will probably be closed. Trains will solely run between 7am and 7pm.

Southern stated there will probably be no trains working throughout the overwhelming majority of its community, with a restricted shuttle service working continuous between London Victoria and Gatwick Airport.

There will probably be no Thameslink providers working, aside from a restricted shuttle service calling at Luton, Luton Airport Parkway and London St Pancras and one other restricted continuous shuttle service between London Kings Cross and Cambridge.

There will probably be no Nice Northern or Gatwick Specific providers. Nonetheless, Gatwick Airport will proceed to be served by the restricted continuous Southern shuttle.

Southeastern stated most of its routes and stations will probably be closed. There will probably be a particularly restricted service the place trains are working and the operator suggested prospects to not journey.

A press release stated: “If you happen to do journey, anticipate extreme disruption, plan forward and permit far more time to your journey.

“Trains which can be working will probably be extraordinarily busy, they begin later and end early. It’s possible you’ll be unable to board trains at some stations, and we estimate that there might be queues for as much as two hours because of the very restricted service. Solely 29 out of 165 Southeastern stations will probably be open. No rail alternative buses will serve stations which can be closed.”

No c2c trains will run. Rob Mullen, c2c managing director, stated: “I’m actually upset that an settlement with Aslef hasn’t been reached. The impression of this ongoing motion is important for our prospects and colleagues. I’m hopeful that additional conferences with the unions are productive and see progress made towards concluding this difficult time for the railway.”

Higher Anglia stated its first trains of the day will begin later and final trains end sooner than regular, excluding the Stansted Specific.

An hourly practice service will function on the next Higher Anglia routes: Norwich/Colchester and London Liverpool Road; Southend Victoria and London Liverpool Road; Stansted Airport and London Liverpool Road. A bi-hourly practice service will run between Cambridge and London.

No different Higher Anglia providers will function on every other routes.

Aslef members at 16 practice corporations are additionally banning additional time on Monday and Tuesday which can disrupt providers.

Picket strains had been mounted outdoors railway stations of operators affected by the strike.

Aslef common secretary Mick Whelan stated his members remained solidly behind the commercial motion, and criticised the federal government and rail corporations for the dearth of contact over the previous yr.

The federal government launched a brand new legislation final yr aimed toward guaranteeing minimal ranges of service throughout strikes, however not one of the practice corporations have opted to make use of it.

A Rail Supply Group spokesperson stated: “Practice corporations are working by means of plans to handle the pointless disruption to our passengers attributable to this damaging industrial motion.

“Minimal service ranges are one potential software for that however they aren’t a silver bullet. Within the meantime we stay dedicated to resolving this dispute and our provide, which might take common driver salaries to £65,000 for a four-day week with out additional time, stays on the desk.”

A Division for Transport spokesperson stated: “Aslef is the one rail union persevering with to strike, concentrating on passengers and stopping their very own members from voting on the pay provide that is still on the desk.

“Having resolved disputes with all different rail unions, the Transport Secretary and rail minister have ensured {that a} pay provide is on the desk – taking practice drivers’ common salaries from £60,000 as much as £65,000.”

Nationwide Specific was including hundreds of additional seats throughout its UK-wide coach community.

The coach operator was anticipating to hold over 13 per cent extra passengers throughout the strike weekend and added round 100 extra coach departures on fashionable routes to satisfy buyer demand.

Catherine Woolfe, buyer and advertising and marketing director for Nationwide Specific UK & Eire, stated: “Folks deserve reasonably priced, dependable and sustainable public transport and but once more they’re seeing disruption on the railways.

“Our ahead bookings present that demand for coach journey is up over 13 per cent this weekend, with savvy prospects turning to Nationwide Specific for dependable, nice worth journey and a assured seat.”