Train strikes UK: Misery for commuters as union announces walkouts in run up to Christmas

BRITS could see Christmas plans ruined as train drivers announce their latest strike taking place next month.

The walkout, confirmed by union Aslef, is set to cause even more travel chaos – likely disrupting long-awaited holiday plans.

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It comes amid the long-running dispute over pay but this industrial action will be staggered among different train operators throughout the week – rather than an all-out national strike.

The walk outs will wreak havoc during the first week of December.

The pattern announced by Aslef is:

• Saturday 2 December: East Midlands Railway and LNER.
• Sunday 3 December: Avanti West Coast, Chiltern, Great Northern, Thameslink and West Midlands Trains
• Monday 4 December: no strikes
• Tuesday 5 December: C2C and Greater Anglia
• Wednesday 6 December: Southeastern, Southern/Gatwick Express, South Western Railway
• Thursday 7 December: CrossCountry and GWR
• Friday 8 December: Northern and TransPennine Trains

But Brits can expect disruption lasting until December 9 due to an overtime ban.

Mick Whelan, Aslef’s general secretary, said: “We are determined to win this dispute and get a significant pay rise for train drivers who have not had an increase since 2019 while the cost of living, in that time, has soared.”

This marks the fifteenth time train drivers have held strikes since the summer of 2022.

Last month fuming commuters were hit with industrial action on October 2 running for four days.

And, travel chaos is not set to end until April 2024, after the RMT secured a mandate for up to six months of strikes.

Recruitment website Reed estimated the average train driver salary to be £48,500 a year in the UK this year.

The starting salary is around £30,000, but this can rise to £65,000 over time as experience is gained.

But there is a glimmer of hope for Brits as Rishi Sunak pledged anti-strike laws that will ease disruption earlier this month.

It will mean airport border staff and rail workers are be forced to ensure a minimum level of service during any industrial action.

The PM said on November 6: “We are doing everything in our power to stop unions de-railing Christmas for millions of people. 

“This legislation will ensure more people will be able to travel to see their friends and family and get the emergency care they need.

“We cannot go on relying on short term fixes – including calling on our Armed Forces or civil servants – to mitigate the disruption caused by strike action.”

Can you get refunds for tickets affected by the rail strikes?

If you have bought an advance train ticket and it’s affected by the strikes, you will be able to claim at least some of your money back.

National Rail said this applies to journeys that have been cancelled, rescheduled or delayed.

The process varies depending on the train operator, but normally you will need to contact the company, provide a picture of your ticket and details of the train you were supposed to be on.

This is part of what’s called “Delay Repay”.

The scheme will give pay-outs to customers if their train has been delayed by a certain amount of time.

How much you get depends on the train operator, the type of ticket and how long the delay was.

In order to claim you’ll need a photo or screenshot of your ticket. If it’s an eticket this needs to include the barcode.

If you’re a season ticket holder, you’ll need to provide a scan of your photocard.

You’ll need your booking confirmation containing your booking reference, journey details and the cost of your ticket.

If you don’t have your ticket then you’ll need to provide a receipt with your journey details and the price paid.