Train Strikes: Aslef and RMT drivers announce more strike action for February - these are the dates

Train drivers from Aslef and RMT have announced two more strike dates in February. This comes as the union rejects the latest pay offer.

Aslef represents a majority of all train drivers in the UK, and have announced that members from 15 train companies will walk out for 24 hours on two dates. The drivers will be joined by drivers from the RMT union from 14 train operators.

Leaders from the Aslef unions said that they had rejected the Rail Delivery Group (RDG) latest pay offer worth eight per cent  over two years. General secretary Mick Whelan said the pay offer “came with so many conditions attached that it was clearly unacceptable”, but that Aslef is “willing to engage in further discussions with the train operating companies.”

He added: “It’s now clear to our members and to the public that this was never about reform or modernisation but an attempt to get hundreds of millions of pounds of productivity for a 20% pay cut while taking away any hope of the union having any say in the future.

“Our members at these companies have not had an increase since 2019, despite soaring inflation, and it is time the companies – encouraged, perhaps, by the government – sat down with us and got serious.”

The Aslef union represents around 95% of all train drivers, with the RMT representing a few hundred. Apart from the drivers, RMT has not yet announced any extra strike dates taking place in February.

RMT general secretary, Mick Lynch, said: “Our negotiations will continue with the rail operators to create a package on jobs, conditions and pay that can be offered to our members.”

As train drivers walk out on strike for 24 hours on February 1 and 3, the following train operators will be affected:

• Avanti West Coast

• Chiltern Railways

• CrossCountry

• East Midlands Railway

• Great Western Railway

• Greater Anglia

• GTR Great Northern Thameslink

• London North Eastern Railway

• Northern Trains

• Southeastern

• Southern/Gatwick Express

• South Western Railway (depot drivers only)

• SWR Island Line

• TransPennine Express

• West Midlands Trains