“Some lines will have little or no service,” the operator said in a statement. “Services on Tuesday 9 April and Sunday 5 May, may start later than normal. We expect that a good service will be running by mid-morning.”
Talks are being held on Wednesday (3 April) between ASLEF and TfL in a bid to avert the strikes.
“We are encouraging ASLEF to continue engaging with us so the strike action can be avoided,” said Nick Dent, director of customer operations for London Underground.
Why are train and Tube drivers striking in April and May?
ASLEF is seeking better pay for its tube driver members. It says that existing pay offers have been accompanied by unacceptable sacrifices to working conditions.
“They want drivers to work longer shifts, spending up to 25% more time in the cab, and to remove all current working agreements in the name of ‘flexibility and efficiency’,” said Brennan.
TfL said it had “no plans to impose these changes” and had “committed to no one losing their job as part of these changes.”
Will the Elizabeth Line and London Overground run on strike days?
The Elizabeth Line and the Overground will be “busier than usual” on strike days, and there may be queuing systems at stations. TfL has urged commuters to consider walking or cycling part of their journeys.
What dates are the mainline strikes in April and May?
Drivers across the country are also striking.
On Friday 5 April, ASLEF members will walk out at Avanti West Coast, East Midlands Railway, West Midlands Trains and CrossCountry.
On Saturday 6 April, members will walk out at Chiltern, GWR, LNER, Northern, and TransPennine Trains
On Monday 8 April, members will strike at c2c, Greater Anglia, GTR Great Northern Thameslink, Southeastern, Southern/Gatwick Express, South Western Railway main line and depot drivers, and SWR Island Line.
Members will also refuse to work their rest days from Thursday 4 to Saturday 6 April and from Monday 8 to Tuesday 9 April.
Will these operators run any service on strike days?
Some of these operators will run a “skeleton service” on these days, ASLEF assistant general secretary Simon Weller told the Calling All Stations Podcast – but others won’t be able to run any trains at all.
“LNER, for example, will get all their managers to drive trains on strike day, so they can provide a skeleton service,” he said.
“But the others, like the southern region companies and the northwest and northern companies, there’ll be a complete shutdown.”
You can find more information on mainline strikes at the website of your train operator.
Sophie Anderson, a UK-based writer, is your guide to the latest trends, viral sensations, and internet phenomena. With a finger on the pulse of digital culture, she explores what’s trending across social media and pop culture, keeping readers in the know about the latest online sensations.
