Weekend strikes by LNER train drivers called off

Train driver strikes at London North Eastern Railway (LNER) have been called off following last-ditch talks between union and company officials.

Some 450 drivers at the company had planned to walk out every weekend until mid-November over what the union said were broken agreements.

However, Aslef told the BBC late on Thursday a "resolution" had been reached and confirmed drivers would "now report for duty as normal".

LNER said it would look to "strengthen" its timetable for this weekend having planned fewer services.

LNER, which operates services between Edinburgh and London on the East Coast Mainline, had warned that trains would be "extremely busy" due to the reduced timetable.

It advised passengers to still check bookings before travelling.

The company, which is run by the government, operates trains to and from London King's Cross station and also through major cities including Newcastle, York and Durham.

Aslef originally announced the strikes earlier this month, with the first action scheduled to take place from this weekend, and every following one until 10 November.

The dispute between LNER and Aslef was separate to the long-running row over pay between drivers and all 16 train companies in England, which could soon be resolved following a new pay offer.

The union accused LNER of "breaking agreements" on working practices, which officials said included driver managers driving trains and "improper use" of overtime working.

Mick Whelan, general secretary of Aslef, said the union was "pleased to have finally resolved this long-standing issue with LNER’s abuse of our agreements".

He said the union would "continue to campaign for a fully-staffed railway that does not rely on excessive use of driver overtime".

An LNER spokesperson described the talks as "constructive" and said it was pleased the strikes had been called off.

Transport Secretary Louise Haigh welcomed the resolution, which she said had come at "no extra cost to the taxpayer".

Various railway strikes have led to cancelled services and disruption for passengers for more than two years.

But a breakthrough between the parties was made earlier this month when Aslef revealed its members will vote on a fresh pay deal.

The new offer is for a 5% backdated pay rise for 2022/23, a 4.75% rise for 23/24, and 4.5% increase for 24/25.