Rail passengers on many routes in southern and eastern England, including major commuter routes into London, are expected to experience significant disruption on Monday as train drivers stage their final strike in a three-day campaign.
Aslef union members launched a 24-hour strike on Monday across eight operators: C2C, Gatwick Express, Greater Anglia, Great Northern, South Eastern, Southern, South Western Railway and Thameslink. The lawsuit is part of a long-running dispute over pay and conditions that began in 2022.
Great Northern, c2c and Gatwick Express have confirmed that no services will be running throughout the day.
Southern Airlines only operates one shuttle service per day via Gatwick Airport and London Victoria, while Thameslink operates a shuttle service via London St Pancras Airport, Luton Airport Parkway and Luton only. The airline operates two services: a shuttle service via London King’s Cross Airport and London Victoria Airport. Cambridge only.
Southeastern said it will implement limited service, with only 29 of the 165 stations it serves open. Greater Anglia will also significantly reduce its services, with only one train per hour between London Liverpool Street and Southend, Norwich and Stansted airports.
South Western Airlines has announced that it will continue to operate a very limited schedule with a small number of routes to and from London Waterloo. All services were suspended by 7pm and passengers were warned to only travel if absolutely necessary.
The companies say some services may be disrupted on Tuesday due to the strike.
The strike coincides with an overtime ban that unions called on 16 employers across England on Monday and Tuesday, after similar measures took place between Thursday and Saturday.
The ban is expected to increase the likelihood of short notice cancellations and disruptions. Train operators in Scotland and Wales are not involved in any dispute or industrial action, but cross-border rail services could be disrupted.
The strike against the remaining eight operating companies follows two days of action in other parts of the network on Friday and Saturday.
In a video posted to Aslef’s X account On Friday, Labor general secretary Mick Whelan said: There is a way forward and we are willing to find it.
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“Now is the time for governments and employers to come back to the table and work with us to resolve this long-standing dispute.”
A spokeswoman for the Rail Delivery Group, which represents rail operators, said it was regrettable that the strike called by Mr Aslef’s leadership risked disrupting travel.
“We are doing everything we can to keep our trains running and will work with our industry partners to keep as many trains running as possible, but unfortunately from Thursday 4th April to 9th April Flights will be reduced until Tuesday,” he added. “We recommend checking before traveling and following the latest travel information.”
A Department for Transport spokesperson said: “Athlef is the only railway union to continue striking, targeting passengers and preventing members from voting on pay proposals that remain on the agenda.”
