Manchester Easter holiday train journeys with Northern and TransPennine Express to be hit by strike action

Aslef strike action will impact Manchester commuters this month, with multiple days of disruption
Patrick Hollis
By Patrick Hollis
Published 26th Mar 2024, 15:59 BST
Updated 3rd Apr 2024, 10:08 BST
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If you’re travelling around Greater Manchester this month, you could be in for some disruption. Train drivers who are members of the union Aslef will take industrial action across some days next month. 

Strike days are pencilled in for April 5, 6 and 8, with drivers at the UK’s various train companies striking on different days. Greater Manchester is set to be hit hardest on Saturday April 6, with two of the region’s main train operators seeing drivers strike on this day. 

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Northern and TransPennine Express will be affected by the strike on April 6, with TransPennine Express telling passengers to not attempt travel on their services. This is a stance that operators have taken with previous strike days. 

Avanti West Coast and CrossCountry drivers will be on strike on Friday April 5. Both of these operators run services around Greater Manchester, and CrossCountry has said that they are ‘assessing’ the impact the strike may have on their services. 

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From April 4 to 8, Aslef members will also be taking part in action short of striking. This will be done in the form of an overtime ban and will also impact journeys even on the days where no strikes are taking place. 

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General Secretary of Aslef, Mick Whelan said: “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 and conditions we have negotiated over the years would never be accepted by our members.”

Victoria Station Approach, Manchester M99 1ZWVictoria Station Approach, Manchester M99 1ZW
Victoria Station Approach, Manchester M99 1ZW

Full list of Aslef strike dates April 2024

Friday April 5

  • Avanti West Coast
  • East Midlands Railway
  • West Midlands Trains
  • CrossCountry

Saturday April 6

  • Chiltern
  • GWR
  • LNER
  • Northern
  • TransPennine

Monday April 8

  • c2c
  • Greater Anglia
  • GTR
  • Great Northern Thameslink
  • Southeastern
  • Southern/Gatwick Express
  • South Western Railway main line and depot drivers
  • SWR Island Line
Related topics:Transpennine ExpressAslefGreater ManchesterDisruptionEasterTravelDriversOperatorsStrikesAvanti West Coast