Train drivers at LNER are to stage a series of strikes after alleging a breakdown in industrial relations and the breaking of agreements by the company, their union Aslef has announced.
News of the strikes comes on the day Nick Thomas-Symonds, the Paymaster General, insisted that public sector workers will not be queuing up for steep pay rises in the wake of the improved deal for train drivers.
Aslef said the issue was “entirely separate” from the national pay dispute which has seen drivers offered a 14pc pay rise over three years.
Here is everything you need to know about the strikes.
When will the strikes take place?
Passengers using the East Coast main line between London and Edinburgh will face lengthy disruption when drivers walk out.
The strikes will take place on Saturdays and Sundays every weekend from Saturday, August 31, to Sunday, September 10.
Which train lines are affected?
LNER runs intercity services between London King’s Cross and major cities in northern England and Scotland, such as Aberdeen, Inverness, Glasgow, Edinburgh, Newcastle, York, Leeds and Doncaster.
How will the train strikes affect me?
It is not yet clear how comprehensively the Aslef strikes will be implemented by drivers. However, trains run by competing operators may offer an alternative. For example, a traveller wanting to visit St Andrews, which is served by Leuchars station, could take a Lumo train between London and Edinburgh and then a local ScotRail service to Leuchers.
Someone normally travelling between London and York on LNER could choose between services offered by both Grand Central Railway and Lumo.
While LNER dominates the East Coast main line, the strikes will not affect trains on the West Coast main line. Trains run by Avanti will continue to run between London and Glasgow and Edinburgh.
However, services that are normally in competition with LNER are likely to quickly become full. Passengers could also consider long-distance coach operators National Express and MegaBus, which offer services to Scotland.
Why are the strikes happening?
Nigel Roebuck of Aslef said: “This dispute started nigh-on two years ago with our members complaining about consistently being badgered for “favours” by managers outside of rostering agreements and being contacted remotely, which is also against our agreements.
“The bottom line is that LNER does not employ enough drivers to deliver the services it has promised passengers, and the Government, it will run.
“This TOC’s legacy of under-established depots means it has always relied on favours and goodwill and, when that evaporated, they started to try to bully our members and then to break out agreements.”
What has the train company said?
LNER said: “Our priority focus will be on minimising disruption to customers during the forthcoming Aslef strikes, which sadly will continue to cause disruption and delays.
“We are surprised and disappointed to hear this news following recent constructive conversations. We will continue to work with Aslef to find a way to end this long-running dispute which only damages the rail industry.”
What does the Government say?
A Department of Transport spokesman said: “This is extremely disappointing for passengers. The Transport Secretary has called on both ASLEF and LNER to get around the table and work in good faith to resolve this dispute and as quickly as possible.”