Rail disruptions in the East as Greater Anglia Aslef members walk out

Rail disruptions are expected today with a significantly reduced service to the mainlines and some cancelled routes

Greater Anglia trains
Author: Zoe Head-ThomasPublished 5th Dec 2023
Last updated 5th Dec 2023

Members of the train drivers union Aslef are walking out in a long-running dispute over pay.

This set of strikes will include a full striking day today, December 5th, and an overtime ban throughout the rest of the week up until Saturday.

The Head of Corporate Affairs for Greater Anglia, Jonathan Denby, said: "There's a slightly higher likelihood than normal of some short term cancellations, but basically most services should be running on most days this week."

"This day is definitely the most disruptive for our network but equally there is action short of a strike affecting us up to and including Saturday."

Today, Tuesday December 5th, one train an hour will be running on Greater Anglia mainlines in and out of London to Colchester, Southend-On-Sea, Norwich and Stansted Airport.

One train every two hours is expected to run between Cambridge and London on the Greater Anglia network.

"...we all hope that, moving forward, there will be progress and an agreement can be reached at a national level."

On other routes, including to Hertfordshire and other stations across the East, no trains will be running.

Mr Denby said: "We're already into this set of action so I think it's highly unlikely that any of the rest of this current set of action will be called off."

"Clearly we all hope that, moving forward, there will be progress and an agreement can be reached at a national level."

Last week, Aslef members voted overwhelmingly in favour of continuing the planned strike action for the next six months.

The union said it proved they were still behind the campaign for an increase to a pay offer worth 8% over two years.

The dispute remains in a deadlock after 18 months of industrial action, with no sign of a breakthrough to be seen yet.

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