Rail passengers have been warned of more nationwide travel disruption next weekend as train drivers at nine firms strike over pay offers failing to match the soaring cost of living.
The train drivers’ union Aslef announced last week that its members had voted overwhelmingly to take a second round of industrial action next Saturday, and emphasised that strikes were “always the last resort”.
The walk out will coincide with a busy weekend of football, industry leaders warned, with Premier League games in Manchester, London, Birmingham and Brighton likely to be affected.
The strikes will affect Arriva Rail London, Avanti West Coast, Crosscountry, Greater Anglia (including Stansted Express), Great Western, Hull Trains, LNER, London Overground, Southeastern and West Midlands Trains.
Timetables will be published on Tuesday, but passengers are being advised to follow the latest travel advice, check before they set off, and allow extra time for their journey.
Other companies not involved in the strike will be running trains, but these are expected to be busy, and passengers are advised to start their journeys later the following day where possible.
Passengers with advance, off-peak or anytime tickets affected by the strike can use their ticket either on the day before the date on the ticket, or up to and including 16 August, or can change their tickets to travel on an alternate date, or get a refund if their train is cancelled or rescheduled.
The union’s general secretary Mick Whelan said: “We don’t want to inconvenience passengers – our friends and families use public transport, too – and we don’t want to lose money by going on strike, but we’ve been forced into this position by the companies, who say they have been driven to this by the Tory government.”
But Steve Montgomery, chair of the Rail Delivery Group – which represents rail operating firms – urged the union to call off the strike action and said he is “ready and willing to talk to the leadership of Aslef today, tomorrow or indeed any time next week”.
Click Here to Read the Full Original Article at The Independent Travel…