Passengers warned of severe disruption due to drivers’ strikes on 30 September and 4 October

Passengers are being warned to check before they travel on Saturday 30 September and Wednesday 4 October, due to strike action called by the train driver’s union ASLEF. Further action short of a strike by Aslef will affect train services on 29 September and from 2 to 6 October. 

The strikes will affect services on 15 train companies with trains due to start later and finish much earlier than usual - typically between 7.30am and 6.30pm. Train companies will run as many trains as possible but there will be wide regional variations with some operators running no services at all.   

It is likely that evening services on some lines will be affected on the days before each strike. Morning services on those lines may also be disrupted on 1 and 5 October because much of the rolling stock will not be in the right depots. The rail industry is working hard to keep trains running despite the union leaders’ decision to reject an offer which would give their members an 8 per cent pay rise over two years, taking average salaries for train drivers up from nearly £60,000 a year, to almost £65,000 a year for on average a 4-day week. 

Special timetables for 30 September will be published today on National Rail Enquiries and for 4 October on Wednesday, 27 September.  

A spokesperson for Rail Delivery Group, said: “We want to resolve this dispute and are acutely aware of the damaging impact it's having on our passengers, our people and the long-term sustainability of the industry itself. We apologise to our customers for the unnecessary disruption to their journeys caused by the ASLEF leadership. The offer to ASLEF, which would take average driver salaries from £60,000 to £65,000 for a four-day week, remains on the table, and we are always open to constructive dialogue. However, at a time when industry is losing £10m a day post covid, its leadership must recognise the need to make changes to how the industry is run, to both fund any rise and crucially, so we can give our passengers more reliable train services, particularly on Sundays." 

Ticketing arrangements     

Passengers with Advance, Anytime or Off-Peak tickets for travel on 30 September can instead use their ticket on the day before the date on the ticket or up to and including Tuesday 3 October. Tickets for Wednesday 4 October can be used on the day before the date on the ticket or up to and including Friday 6 October.  Passengers can also have their ticket refunded with no fee if the train that the ticket is booked for is cancelled, delayed or rescheduled.   

If the Advance ticket is for a train that is scheduled for a strike day, is not cancelled, delayed or rescheduled, but a customer prefers not to travel, they should contact their ticket retailer.    

Customers with 2 x Advance tickets (an outbound and a return), to be used as a return journey, may be able to get a fee free refund or change of journey for any unused legs/tickets, if one (either) of the legs is scheduled for a strike day. Customers should check with their ticket retailer.   

Passengers with season tickets (flexi, monthly or longer), who do not travel, can claim 100% compensation for the strike dates through Delay Repay.  

Passengers can check on the National Rail Enquiries website or their rail operator’s website for further travel advice.