UK
Travellers face bank holiday misery as 150 train lines hit by strikes and delays
A combination of rail strikes and engineering works are set to cause chaos for eight days
Britons hoping for a bank holiday weekend away could have their hopes dashed, as more than 150 train lines are set to be hit by a combination of rail strikes and engineering works over an eight-day period.
The upcoming bank holiday on Monday, 6 May, is predicted as the worst affected day, as a combination of rail works and an overtime ban will spark a “crescendo” of cars taking to UK roads.
Transport commentator and railway historian Christian Wolmar told i strikes were purposefully planned for the upcoming bank holiday weekend to “create a maximum impact”.
“It was obviously envisaged that the strikes would coincide with engineering works,” the author of The Subterranean Railway said.
Key stretches of train lines will be closed from late on Friday, 3 May, through to the start of service on Tuesday morning, 7 May. Network Rail says it will have 487 projects in operation over the course of the weekend.
A three-day succession of “rolling” strikes, starting on 7 May and affecting 16 rail operators, will also be held by Aslef, the union representing train drivers.
Union members will also be banned from overtime from Monday, 6 May, until Saturday, 11 May, causing further cancellations. At least 152 train lines are due to be affected by the disruption, according to analysis by i.
Rail expert Mr Wolmar warned that the upcoming Monday “will not go well” for hopeful holidaymakers, as thousands take to roads up and down the UK to avoid rail disruptions.
“It is not going to be a good day. It is sure to add at least a few per cent more users to the road,” Mr Wolmar said.
Earlier this week, car insurance company RAC revealed it expects 16 million motorists will make a leisure trip between Friday and Monday, taking bank holiday traffic well above pre-Covid levels.
On bank holiday Monday itself, parts of north-west England, East Anglia and south-west England will be hardest hit by returning traffic. RAC spokesperson Alice Simpson said to anticipate a “crescendo of cars on the road over the weekend”.
Those planning on driving to avoid rail disruption on Monday are urged to travel before 9am or after 5pm over the bank holiday period.
Strike days
- Monday 6 May: a ban on overtime is due to disrupt hundreds of lines
- Tuesday 7 May: c2c, Greater Anglia, GTR’s Great Northern, Thameslink and Southern (including Gatwick Express), Southeastern, and South Western Railway
- Wednesday 8 May: Avanti West Coast, CrossCountry, East Midlands Railway, London Northwestern Railway, West Midlands Trains, Chiltern and GWR
- Thursday 9 May: LNER, Northern, and TransPennine Express
- Friday 10 May: a ban on overtime is due to disrupt hundreds of lines
- Saturday 11 May: a ban on overtime is due to disrupt hundreds of lines
Addressing the engineering works, Network Rail’s system operator director Anit Chandarana said: “The vast majority of the railway will be open for business as normal.
“We know people want to travel by train and not replacement bus and we do our best to fit as much work as we can into these closures to minimise the impact on passengers and freight customers.”
Meanwhile, continued Aslef strikes form part of a near two-year-long pay dispute. There was hope this week of negotiations restarting between Aslef and train operators with the Rail Delivery Group (RDG), which represents rail companies.
No meetings have been held between the two sides for a year, while government ministers have not met with Aslef since the start of 2023.
Mr Wolmar predicts there is no end in sight to the latest wave of industrial action, blaming a “standoff” between the Government and Aslef.
He told i: “There will be more of this. There is just so much anger in Aslef with ministers refusing to talk. There is absolute deadlock.”
Looking beyond the bank holiday, industrial action is expected to affect the largest area of the country on Wednesday 8 May. A spokesperson for the RDG said the strikes were “wholly unnecessary”.
The spokesperson added: “[Strikes] will sadly disrupt customers and businesses once again, while further damaging the railway at a time when taxpayers are continuing to contribute an extra £54m a week just to keep services running.”
Mick Whelan, Aslef’s general secretary, said: “It is now a year since we sat in a room with the train companies – and a year since we rejected the risible offer they made and which they admitted, privately, was designed to be rejected.”
Drivers at 16 train companies will strike for 24 hours on three consecutive dates between Tuesday and Thursday. In some places there may be no trains at all on strike days, and services that are running will typically run between 7.30am and 6.30pm.
Planned engineering works
- The main London-Birmingham line will be severed between Rugby and Birmingham International, disrupting Avanti West Coast, West Midlands Railway and London North Western Railway
- Avanti West Coast lines will generally be operating much-reduced services with many journeys taking significantly more time due to diversionary routes
- The Leamington Spa to Coventry line will affect CrossCountry services due to track renewals
- Lines around Cambridge will be disrupted due to work on the new Cambridge South station
- The Stansted airport-Cambridge line will be suspended
- The Euston and Milton Keynes Central line will be completely closed on 5 May
- Lines between Glasgow and anywhere in England will be closed on 5 May, “owing to improvement work on the West Coast Main Line at Crewe, Wigan and other locations”
- Lines around Liverpool will be affected by track renewals on 5 and 6 May
- Lines in Kent and Sussex will be impacted by widespread work linked to the Southeastern network
- The Dover-Folkestone will be running at a reduced speed
The union is asking for an unconditional pay rise, while rail firms and the Government say wage increases need to be contingent on reforms to working practices.
It has already rejected a two-year offer of 4 per cent in 2022, and again in 2024, claiming it was too far below inflation and linked to changes in working conditions.
Inrix transportation analyst Bob Pishue said: “Although delays won’t be as severe as Easter, drivers should expect the lengthiest hold-ups on major roads to and from popular destinations this weekend.
“Delays will likely peak on Friday afternoon with some areas seeing usual travel times double as holiday drivers vie for space on the roads with commuters.”
RDG said: “We continue to seek a fair agreement with the Aslef leadership which both rewards our people, gives our customers more reliable services and makes sure the railway isn’t taking more than its fair share from taxpayers.”
Speaking on industrial action last month, a Department for Transport spokesperson said: “Aslef is the only rail union continuing to strike, targeting passengers and preventing their own members from voting on the pay offer that remains on the table.”
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