Train services on some of the North East's busiest commuter routes will be widely impacted because of another strike by drivers.
Members of Aslef are launching a wave of fresh walkouts in a long-running dispute over pay.
Services are already being affected by a nine-day ban on overtime which started on Monday.
These strikes are expected to continue until February 5.
We’re running a reduced service on Fri 2 Feb due to Industrial Action.
— London North Eastern Railway (@LNER) January 29, 2024
Other operators may be affected by action on dates between Tues 30 Jan & Mon 5 Feb – always check your entire journey before you travel during this period: https://t.co/wqdF3ZBKy4
1/4 pic.twitter.com/9FXJmhzHor
On Tuesday drivers went on strike at Southeastern, Southern/Gatwick Express, Great Northern, Thameslink and South Western Railway followed by walkouts at Northern Trains and TPE on Wednesday, at LNER, Greater Anglia and C2C on Friday, at West Midlands Trains, Avanti West Coast and East Midlands Railway on Saturday, February 3 and at Great Western, CrossCountry and Chiltern on Monday, February 5.
Where services do run they will start later and finish earlier than usual.
Picket lines will be mounted outside railway stations.
Aslef’s general secretary Mick Whelan says some drivers have not had a pay rise for almost five years.
Industrial action will affect services from 29 January through to 6 February.
— Northern 🚆 (@northernassist) January 24, 2024
No Northern services on 31 January.
Full advice, including ticketing and refunds: https://t.co/NQJw58XlR6 pic.twitter.com/Ng89eTgYeK
He has accused the Government of “giving up” trying to resolve the row.
The strikes were expected to be the first test of the minimum service levels legislation, aimed at ensuring train operators could run 40% of services.
But none of the train companies are using the new law, which the Government is also planning to extend to other sectors.
Labour has said it will repeal the law if it wins the next general election.
Downing Street expressed disappointment at rail operators who are not using the minimum service levels legislation.
⚠️Industrial Action⚠️
— TransPennine Express (@TPExpressTrains) January 26, 2024
ASLEF has announced strike action between 30 January and 06 February, with different dates affecting different train companies.
On Wednesday 31 January, please do not attempt to travel on our service as we will not be running any services on our routes.… pic.twitter.com/EQYWcjCG7U
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak told the Daily Mail: “They’re available for train operators to use – a key tool that train operators themselves have asked for – to reduce the impact of disruption on passengers. They should now use them.
“Now, the public rightly expect them to be deployed when strike action is called and for train operators to act in the best interests of their passengers.”
The Northern Echo has pieced together every North East train running during the strikes.
Here are all of the train services that will run during the strikes in the North East:
Northern
Additional disruption is expected between 29 January and 6 February 2024 due to action short of strike called by ASLEF.
If travelling with Northern, or connecting with other services across the country, check before you travel as industrial action may affect multiple parts of your journey.
Northern services are expected to be very busy on routes shared with other train operators. The below routes may be busier than usual - leave plenty of time to travel.
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The National Rail Enquiries real-time Journey Planner is correct for most journeys with the exception of the below dates / train operators. Please continue to check right up until you start your journey and take note of any warning triangles that may show service disruptions on the day.
Transpennine Express
Action short of strike means ASLEF members will withdraw from working overtime on these dates. Although the company plan to run our normal timetable (29-30 January & 01-06 February), they expect action short of a strike to cause significant disruption to journeys.
There will be some alterations to evening services on Thursday, February 1.
Services during action short of a strike may be altered or cancelled on the night before or the morning of your journey.
You should check your journey here.
LNER
London to Edinburgh travelling through the North East on Friday (February 2):
Darlington: 10.20am, 12.22pm,2.22pm, 4.22pm, 5.22pm, and 6.24pm, 8.36pm.
Durham: 10.38am, 12.39pm, 2.41pm, 4.40pm, 5.40pm, 6.41pm, 8.53pm.
Newcastle: 10.53am, 12.54pm, 2.56pm, 4.59pm, 5.55pm, 9.11pm.
Edinburgh to London travelling through the North East on Friday (February 2):
Newcastle:7.30am, 8.56am, 11.58am, 1.59pm, 4pm, 5.58pm
Durham: 7.43am, 9.09am, 10.10am, 12.11pm, 2.12pm, 4.13pm, 6.11pm.
Darlington: 8.02am, 9.27am, 10.28am, 12.30pm, 2.30pm, 4.32pm, 6.30pm.
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