Train drivers have voted overwhelmingly to accept a 15 per cent pay deal, ending a bitter two-year dispute.
Drivers at 16 train operating companies voted 97 per cent in favour of the settlement, with a turnout of 89 per cent, the Aslef union said.
The three-year deal is worth about £9,000 to most drivers and will boost average salaries to £73,000. They will receive a 5 per cent rise for 2022-23, 4.75 per cent for 2023-24 and 4.5 per cent for this financial year.
All payments will be backdated and pensionable for the drivers, who previously earned an average of £64,000. The no-strings settlement includes drivers who retired or left the industry during the dispute.
Mick Whelan, the union’s general secretary, said it was his