TRAIN drivers are taking industrial action throughout the day on Saturday, November 26, causing severe travel disruption.
ASLEF train drivers union will be striking, leaving services from 12 companies without adequate staff to continue operating, including Great Western Railway and the London Overground services.
The action means that few services will be operating from Reading throughout Saturday.
Great Western Railway has announced that extremely limited services will be operating on very select routes.
Services will start at 07:30 and all journeys must be completed before 21:30, between Reading and Oxford, Reading and Basingstoke, and London Paddington and Bristol Temple Meads as the only services operating.
GWR says it expects the services to be “extremely busy” and encourages passengers to travel using other methods if at all possible.
It also advises that tickets bought for the day of Saturday, November 26, will also be valid for for travel from Sunday-Monday, November 27-28.
They may also be eligible for a full or partial refund via GWR’s website.
Mick Whelan, general secretary of ASLEF, commented on the strikes: “We regret that passengers will be inconvenienced for another day. We don’t want to be taking this action.
“Withdrawing our labour is always a last resort for a trade union.”He continued: “We have come to the table, as we always will, in good faith but while the industry continues to make no offer – due to the dodgy deal they signed with the DfT – we have no choice but to take strike action again.
“They want drivers to take a real terms pay cut– with inflation now well into double figures, train drivers who kept Britain moving through the pandemic are now being expected to work just as hard this year as last year but for less.
“Most of these drivers have not had an increase in salary since 2019 – we want the companies, which are making huge profits, to make a proper pay offer so that our members can keep up with the cost of living.”
For information about travel conditions, routes, or tickets, visit: www.gwr.com
