Train strikes 2024: The latest round of industrial action is under way
The latest round of industrial action on the railways is under way.
Members of the train drivers’ union, Aslef, have imposed an overtime ban at LNER and Northern on Thursday 29 February and Saturday 2 March. Northern is warning passengers to “expect disruption”. Dozens of LNER trains on the East Coast main line are cancelled or curtailed “due to industrial action”.
On Friday 1 March train drivers walked out at both train operators – cancelling all Northern trains and most LNER services.
These walk-outs are unconnected with the continuing pay and conditions dispute at the heart of the national rail strikes that began in the summer of 2022.
Over the past 22 months, hundreds of millions of journeys have been cancelled. Billions of pounds have been lost to the UK economy, particularly hospitality businesses – and taxpayers are subsidising an increasingly decrepit and unreliable railway to the tune of £90 per second on top of the normal subsidy.
During that time there has been zero progress in the dispute between Aslef and the 14 rail firms controlled by the UK government and represented by the Rail Delivery Group (RDG).
