Disruption as train strike hits weekend travel

Passengers endured another day of travel disruption in England after drivers from seven train operators walked out over pay.

Aslef union members went on a 24-hour strike on lines including Southeastern and West Midlands Trains.

Fans travelling to the first games of the season at English Football League clubs and to the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham were among those affected.

It added to a summer of misery for passengers after a series of walkouts.

The latest strike, involving some 5,000 Aslef members, also impacted Arriva Rail London - which operates the London Overground - Greater Anglia, Great Western, Hull Trains, and Heathrow Express.

From midnight on Saturday, no trains ran on Southeastern, while operators including Great Western Railway - which runs services between England and Wales - and LNER had severely-reduced services.

Aslef's general secretary Mick Whelan said: "All we are asking for is an increase in line with the increase in the cost of living - soaring inflation is not the fault of working people in this country, it's the fault of this government and its inept handling of the UK economy."

The union says its members have not had a pay rise for three years. Mr Whelan told the BBC the government had prevented train companies from offering more than 2% this year. Inflation is currently 9.4% and is forecast to hit double digits later this year.

Mr Whelan said Transport Secretary Grant Shapps had been "blustering and ducking and diving" but could resolve the dispute by allowing the train companies to come forward with "a sensible offer".

But writing in The Times earlier, Mr Shapps accused "militant union leaders" of bringing the country "to a standstill" and said efficiencies were needed to fund pay rises.

He accused Aslef of "dragging its feet" in talks - something the union denied.

Steve Montgomery, chairman of the Rail Delivery Group which represents rail operators, said bosses were "really disappointed that the Aslef leadership has decided to impose yet more uncertainty and disruption for passengers and businesses".

More strikes are planned in August by Aslef and the RMT union in the row over pay, jobs and conditions.

The disruption to London Overground and Greater Anglia also affected travel to and from Lady Gaga's Chromatica Ball stadium show in Tottenham.

There will be no Overground services into the early hours of Sunday.

West Midlands Trains said it was only operating a "special shuttle" between Birmingham New Street and Birmingham International as thousands attend the Commonwealth Games in the city.

Stephen Glover is one of many sports fans whose travel plans were disrupted, as he was due to travel by train from Stafford to London with friends and family to watch England's women compete in Sunday's Euro 2022 final.

He says all eight of them had to cram into a van to make the journey south.

"The kids were looking forward to the rail journey," says Stephen. "It's all part of the experience."

He says it's not only rail workers who have faced hard times recently and adds that small business owners like himself have been affected by the strikes as they try to recover from the pandemic.

"I just think it's not fair for all these businesses that have been hammered to be hammered again," Mr Glover said.

The AA said that as the strike took place there was congestion on motorways around the country, including near Bristol, Exeter, Northampton, Birmingham, Leeds and Bradford.

Passengers were advised to check the latest information before they travel, and allow extra time for their journey, as other services are expected to be busy.

Among those supporting strikers was Arthur Scargill, the former leader of the National Union of Mineworkers who became a household name during the 1980s miners' strikes under Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher. He joined a picket line at Doncaster Station.

Former shadow transport minister Sam Tarry also joined strikers at Paddington Station, days after he was sacked by Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer following an earlier appearance on a picket line.

That strike on Wednesday involved around 40,000 RMT union members at Network Rail and 14 train operating companies, who walked out over pay, job cuts and changes to terms and conditions.

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