Avanti West Coast train services hit by drivers' strike today
ASLEF is staging a series of one-day strikes across the UK
There will be no trains running on the main rail connection between Glasgow to London today as drivers stage the latest in a series of one-day walk outs.
Avanti West Coast is telling passengers not to attempt to travel during action by the ASLEF union.
Instead they’re being advised to claim a refund, seek alternative transport or move their plans to another day.
Drivers are also striking at Cross Country trains today.
Scotrail services are not affected by the pay dispute.
Strikes all weekend
While Avanti services will begin to return from Saturday 6th April the ASLEF members will be on strike at LNER, which operates cross border trains from Aberdeen, Inverness, Dundee and Edinburgh to London, and also on TransPennine Expresss.
Andy Mellors, Managing Director at Avanti West Coast, said: “We’re sorry our customers will face disruption to their travel plans when ASLEF go on strike this Friday.
“Anyone with tickets for 5 to 8 April can make their journey on alternative days or claim a full refund. While our advice to all customers making journeys between 4 and 9 April is to check before you travel. We’d like to thank our customers for their continued patience and understanding during this industrial action.”
Union call for talks
ASLEF General Secretary Mick Whelan said: ‘Last month, when we announced renewed mandates for industrial action we called on the train companies, and the government, to come to the table for meaningful talks to negotiate a new pay deal for train drivers who have not had an increase in salary since 2019.
‘Our members voted overwhelmingly – yet again – for strike action. Those votes show – yet again – a clear rejection by train drivers of the ridiculous offer put to us in April last year by the Rail Delivery Group which knew that offer would be rejected because a land grab for all the terms & conditions we have negotiated over the years would never be accepted by our members.”