Rail travel disruption in Birmingham amid overtime ban - full details here

Train journeys are facing disruption this week and the next as rail workers refuse to work overtime. This follows another week long overtime ban which commenced July 17.

ASLEF, the train drivers’ union, which represents 16 of the country’s 35 rail operators, announced in June that its members would withdraw non-contractual overtime. Some disruption is expected in Birmingham from until August 5 and again from August 7 to August 12 as the union follows the overtime ban as a result of the ongoing national dispute over pay.

Mick Whelan, ASLEF’s general secretary, said: “We don’t want to take this action – because we don’t want people to be inconvenienced – but the train companies, and the government which stands behind them, have forced us into this place because they refuse to sit down and talk to us and have not made a fair and sensible pay offer to train drivers who have not had one for four years – since 2019 – while prices have soared in that time by more than 12%.

“The proposal they made on Wednesday 26 April – of 4% with a further rise dependent, in a naked land grab, on drivers giving up terms & conditions for which we have fought, and negotiated, for years – was not designed to be rejected. We have not heard a word from the employers since then – we haven’t had a meeting, or a phone call, a text message, nor an email – for the three months, and we haven’t sat down with the government since Friday 6 January.

“That shows how little the companies and the government care about passengers and staff. They are happy to let this go on and on. But we are determined to get a proper increase – a fair pay rise – for men and women who haven’t had one for four years while inflation has been roaring away. Our members, perfectly reasonably, want to be able to buy now what they could buy back in 2019.”

When is action short of a strike taking place by ASLEF?

The ASLEF union have announced action short of a strike affecting some train operators from Monday 31 July to Saturday 5 August, and from Monday 7 August to Saturday 12 August. This action involves ASLEF members withdrawing from working overtime during this time. ASLEF action short of a strike - from Monday 31 July to Saturday 5 August; and from Monday 7 to Saturday 12 August.

Here are the rail services that will be affected:

1. Avanti West Coast, Chiltern Railways,
2. CrossCountry,
3. East Midlands Railway,
4. Greater Anglia,
5. Great Western Railway,
6. GTR Great Northern - Thameslink,
7. Island Line,
8. London North East Railway,
9. Northern,
10. Southeastern,
11. Southern and
12. Gatwick Express,
13. South Western Railway,
14. Transpennine Express and
15. West Midlands Railway

What has West Midlands Railway said

Members of the ASLEF trade union, representing train drivers, have announced industrial action (action short of strike) in the form of an overtime ban from Monday 31 July - Saturday 5 August inclusive and from Monday 7 August - Saturday 12 August inclusive. During this period West Midlands Railway services will be subject to on the day cancellations / alterations as well as pre-planned changes to journeys.

Additionally, the below timetable alterations will apply:

• Buses replace trains between Leamington Spa - Nuneaton via Coventry
• Some Birmingham - Shrewsbury services will be subject to cancellation
• Some Birmingham - Hereford services will be served by bus

Birmingham - Shrewsbury cancellations

• 07.10 Shrewsbury - Birmingham New Street
• 18.40 Shrewsbury - Birmingham New Street
• 21.40 Shrewsbury - Birmingham New Street
• 05.56 Birmingham New Street - Shrewsbury
• 17.26 Birmingham New Street - Shrewsbury
• 20.04 Birmingham New Street - Shrewsbury
• 22.56 Birmingham New Street - Shrewsbury

Birmingham - Hereford cancellations

• 05.56 Worcester Shrub Hill - Hereford
• 08.50 Birmingham New Street - Hereford
• 12.50 Birmingham New Street - Hereford
• 16.50 Birmingham New Street - Hereford
• 21.00 Birmingham New Street - Hereford
• 07.11 Hereford - Birmingham New Street
• 10.40 Hereford - Birmingham New Street
• 14.40 Hereford - Birmingham New Street
• 18.48 Hereford - Birmingham New Street
• 22.59 Hereford - Worcester Shrub Hill

Action short of a strike means that individuals will work normally, apart from when there are duties that the union is asking its members to refuse to undertake. It means workers will work strictly to rostered hours, only undertaking specific duties noted in a job description. The terms of action short of a strike can differ between unions. This could result in amended timetables and on the day cancellations, particularly if there is disruption to services.