Train strikes 2024: Full list of January and February dates affecting National Rail services as...

The railway system in Britain is facing additional challenges to its services as the Aslef union members have initiated an overtime restriction starting today.

The people responsible for operating trains on the LNER will engage in a strike lasting five consecutive days next week due to an ongoing argument about their pay.

Starting from Monday, February 5th until Friday, February 9th, workers will carry out a walkout on the transportation system that connects London King's Cross to Scotland through Newcastle.

From Wednesday, February 7 until Saturday, February 10, drivers operating on the East Coast Main Line will reject any overtime work that is not part of their employment agreement.

Aslef has announced that they will carry out various protest actions that will affect 17 rail operators for a period which will last for nine days, starting from Monday, January 29 up to Tuesday, February 6.

Check out the complete roster of dates and routes impacted during January and February below:

nd and 3rd. It's not good news for passengers who may have to cancel or rearrange their travel plans. The strikes are due to planned changes to working conditions which the RMT union says are not acceptable. LNER has stated that they are disappointed with the planned strikes but are committed to finding a solution to the issue.

A train from LNER named Azuma is currently stationed at London's King's Cross Station. This location is commonly used by commuters and travelers for transit.

Aslef union members were seen on strike outside Reading station in Berkshire in September 2023. (Image: Shutterstock)

LNER, which stands for London North Eastern Railway, runs trains that travel between London and Scotland, with a stop in York.

On December 2, 2023, the Kettering station was shut down due to an Aslef strike. The vicinity was marked with signs that read 'No Trains'.

On August 13, 2022, when the UK was plagued with railway strikes, passengers came to London Bridge railway station in London in search of transportation. A photograph by Getty was taken of the scene.

Staying Updated On Strikes: Tips?

National Rail is advising people who want to travel on days with strikes or overtime bans to check the Journey Planner to see how it will affect their journey.

Aslef, UKHospitality, And The Government's Stance On January/February Walkouts

Mick Whelan, who is the general secretary of Aslef, declared today that they have offered numerous chances to the management of LNER - and the government representatives who control the finances - to engage in discussions, but they have not presented a practical proposal to their members yet.

Aslef's Rail Strike Schedule For Jan-Feb 2024

It's been a while since we last received any communication from the Transport Secretary, which was in December 2022, or any updates from the train operating companies since April 2023. It's crucial for them to join us in discussions and collaborate to settle this disagreement. Only then can we progress and bring our railway system back to its functional state.

The disagreement broke out during the summer of 2022 and seems to have no indication of getting settled.

The Department for Transport representative shared that to resolve the conflicts with the RMT, TSSA, and Unite, the Transport Secretary and Rail Minister have been working towards communication between the industry and the trade unions. Following such efforts, the employers' proposal was considered just and logical, thus being approved by the union members. Now, ASLEF is the only union that has not agreed to put the offer to the vote.

The spokesman for the passenger advocate London TravelWatch also informed MailOnline that railway passengers will feel frustrated upon receiving news of additional strikes ahead.

Although some individuals might have the ability to arrange for a different option, this option may not be feasible for everyone. We urge all parties involved in this ongoing series of strikes to collaborate and end it on behalf of passengers.

Additionally, travelers traveling from King's Cross to Scotland can expect disturbances on the weekend of February 3 and 4 as a result of construction efforts.

As a consequence, the LNER service will be less frequent, and trains will have to take an alternative path between York and Newcastle, causing a lengthening of the travel duration by roughly an hour.

Back in January, Mick Whelan, who is the general secretary of Aslef, said that a lot of the members haven't received any salary hike for the past five years. This has happened at a time when inflation has significantly increased along with the cost of living.

Amidst the Covid-19 outbreak, train drivers performed their duties relentlessly as essential workers without demanding any salary hike. They put their lives at risk while transporting goods across the nation and ensuring the smooth commuting of NHS and other working personnel.

Mick Whelan, the chief of Aslef, was seen standing outside London's Department for Transport on January 9th, 2023.

Mick Whelan, the general secretary of Aslef, stated today that they have not received communication from the Department for Transport for a year. It is evident that they are not interested in finding a solution to this conflict. (Picture from PA, dated June 2023).

In September 2023, a warning sign was observed at London Waterloo station regarding train strikes and bans on extra work hours. The image was taken by a Shutterstock photographer.

Whelan stated: 'The Conservative administration has resorted to their usual tactic of amending regulations. They implemented minimum service level legislation when they were unsuccessful in their attempts to win.'

However, we informed authorities during the consultation phase that this fresh legislation will not alleviate labor disputes. Instead, it will aggravate them.

The proposed strike plans have been condemned by the government, and the Rail Delivery Group has stated that their proposal would bring drivers' salaries up to almost £65,000 over the course of a four-day workweek, without any additional pay for overtime.

The spokesperson of the Prime Minister expressed disappointment over the matter. The situation is particularly upsetting for commuters who have already been facing serious disruptions due to Aslef's consistent decision to go on strikes.

The drivers who are part of Aslef group are still earning wages that are much higher than the standard income of an ordinary individual in the United Kingdom.

The railway corporations proposed a just and rational proposal, and we suggest that they refrain from taking this course of action.

UKHospitality expressed their disappointment with the latest measure, which will result in a loss of approximately £350 million to the industry. This comes in addition to the £4 billion of sales that were lost due to rail strikes.

According to Kate Nicholls, who is the head honcho at UKHospitality, the months of January and February are usually some of the less busy times of the year for establishments. However, the current commotion is going to make it an even tougher situation.

She went on to say: 'We predict that these series of strikes will result in the hospitality industry incurring expenses amounting to almost £350 million. This is on top of the £4 billion worth of sales that the sector has already lost and suffered from.'

We are still pleading with all the individuals and groups involved to quickly come to a consensus and settle this conflict. The continuous protest movement is harmful to enterprises, impedes employees from reaching their workplaces, and considerably undermines trust in the railway system.