Virtually no trains will run from Brighton and Hove this Friday, and not many on Saturday because of two days of strike action, rail bosses are warning.
The train drivers’ union Aslef is calling its members out on strike on Friday, and banning them from working overtime on Saturday.
And members of the RMT union, which represents other rail workers, will be striking on Saturday.
Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR), which runs Thameslink and Southern services, says there will be no trains on the “vast majority” of its network on Friday, except a limited shuttle from London Victoria direct to Gatwick.
On Saturday, first trains will be later and last trains earlier than normal, with no trains running between Hove and Preston Park.
And on Sunday, services will take some time to return to normal after the previous days’ disruption.
Jenny Saunders, GTR’s Customer Service Director, said: “We’re really sorry for the inconvenience this industrial action is causing to our customers.
“If trains are running on your route, they are likely to be busier than normal, with longer waiting times.
“First and last trains will be particularly busy, so please travel later and return earlier if you can. Please plan all your journeys carefully in advance, and check again before you set off.
“We strongly advise you to make sure you know the times of your last trains – including any connections – to make sure you can get home before services finish.”
Train times are available now in online journey planners such as National Rail Enquiries.
£65,000 to press stop and go, no corners, no blind spots, no cyclists, no public to deal with this job clearly isn’t paying enough money, my heart bleeds. The railways should be classed as an essential service with striking a stackable offence. The lazy train driver Mafia needs to be taken down a peg, with a hefty pay cut and a career average pension, like the rest of us. Rather than being paid double most people with a final salary pension and the cheek to ruin people’s lives.
I think you’ll find the job is more than just pressing a few buttons.
it is was it wouldn’t take a year to train and certify a train driver.
As for changing the law the Tories keep promising it yet never deliver.
A year? It takes 3 to be a plumber or electrician
Most electricians or plumbers are not unionised and are self-employed though, Jake. You can’t compare the two, it doesn’t work.
Bring on driverless trains and2 self service station………
Bring on driverless trains and2 self service station………
What is a “stackable offence”. 😂And here’s an idea – the company stops being paid to have strikes (this is well documented reputable news organisations- the government funds them for all ticket sales lost through strikes) and holds real negotiations with the unions. I am not a great union supporter any longer but the company is appalling – just witness how with a year to plan they cancelled all trains over Pride with a few days notice. Negotiation is the only way forward.
Absolutely agree that while train operators are being paid for strike days, there is no incentive for the operator to actually sort out the grievance. As someone once said, if you want to inflict real damage, hit them in the wallet.
How they love to choose the busiest days of the year to strike, and cause misery and chaos – Christmas and Holiday times. They could not care a hoot about members of the general public, who are already paying towards their enormous salaries. It is all about greed, and, as the previous writer has commented, ruining people’s lives. Meanwhile, no comment from Labour about it. I wonder why.
That’s how you make strikes effective Hendrik, the whole POINT is to be disruptive!
Private companies run the UK’s rail networks for the benefit of their overseas shareholders, all thanks to the Tory privatisation push under Thatcher.
And now the current Tory government is so spineless it won’t engage with either the private operating companies or with the unions to mediate.
Workers don’t have many rights any more, but the right to withhold labour until reasonable changes to pay and working conditions are negotiated should be supported by the public.
The Government IS telling the suposedly privately owned train operators what to do.
If the Government left it to the operators to negotiate with the unions this dispute would have been resolved months ago.
Your argument appears to be that the Tory government have stepped in and made the dispute worse?
Chris is right here, John. The government does have the final say on what train operators can or can’t accept in terms of dispute resolutions. There are quite a few good videos out there that explain it is far better detail and coherency then we could here. Worth a watch?