ASLEF strikes W/c 6th May

[Leslie Fletcher]

I am hoping to travel from Manchester to Edinburgh on Thursday, a strike day for TPE and Northern. Trainline suggests TFW to Warrington Bank Quay and Avanti from there. There was mention up-thread of TFW not working Warrington to Manchester Airport on some strike days; is this a real possibility? A similar question about East Midlands Railway; in practice will they be running normally Manchester to Liverpool on Thursday, which is not a strike day?

 

[Krokodil]

There was mention up-thread of TFW not working Warrington to Manchester Airport on some strike days; is this a real possibility?

I've not seen that happen so far. Bear in mind though that trains will be rammed.

 

[Jack Hay]

I am hoping to travel from Manchester to Edinburgh on Thursday, a strike day for TPE and Northern. Trainline suggests TFW to Warrington Bank Quay and Avanti from there. There was mention up-thread of TFW not working Warrington to Manchester Airport on some strike days; is this a real possibility? A similar question about East Midlands Railway; in practice will they be running normally Manchester to Liverpool on Thursday, which is not a strike day?

There are lots of examples of EMT cutting short their Liverpool services at Manchester when there is any kind of inconvenience so I would not rely on them if they were the only operator on the route.

 

[kw12]

Depends upon what you want a Sunday service to look like, but as a rule you'd need to increase establishments by a sixth, because you're stretching a six day roster into a seven day one. Alternatively you could cut back on the weekday service to cover Sundays, this might be an option for some of the London and South East operators

Labour's recently announced rail policy calls for a "resource-led" timetable to be introduced. Thus, if Sundays were to be brought into the working week Labour would presumably seek a reduction in the weekday service to cover this ... and not just for London and South East operators.

 

[Jack Hay]

Labour's recently announced rail policy calls for a "resource-led" timetable to be introduced. Thus, if Sundays were to be brought into the working week Labour would presumably seek a reduction in the weekday service to cover this ... and not just for London and South East operators.

Or maybe they won't bring Sundays into the working week, because that would be costly, and instead they'll cut Sunday services.

 

[irish_rail]

Nonsense. ASLEF staff are mostly paid above the national average so there isn't much public support for a tax increase or a fares increase to pay them more. If they were amongst the least well paid in society it would be different.

Sorry this is nonsense. Whether the public support train drivers is irrelevant. The fact is the strikes cost the economy (especially leisure) money, and they create a perception the country is failing, 1970s style. There is no doubt they have cost the country far more in reputation alone than they have in money saved by not settling two years ago.

 

[weastebusdepot]

I am hoping to travel from Manchester to Edinburgh on Thursday, a strike day for TPE and Northern. Trainline suggests TFW to Warrington Bank Quay and Avanti from there. There was mention up-thread of TFW not working Warrington to Manchester Airport on some strike days; is this a real possibility? A similar question about East Midlands Railway; in practice will they be running normally Manchester to Liverpool on Thursday, which is not a strike day?

TfW is still running an hourly service to/from Manchester Airport on Thursday, but that will be the only service running out of there. Normally there are six trains an hour between Manchester Airport and Manchester Piccadilly, so fitting six trains worth of passengers on a two coach unit is going to be challenging to say the least!

 

[800001]

TfW is still running an hourly service to/from Manchester Airport on Thursday, but that will be the only service running out of there. Normally there are six trains an hour between Manchester Airport and Manchester Piccadilly, so fitting six trains worth of passengers on a two coach unit is going to be challenging to say the least!

But a lot of people won’t attempt train knowing there is a strike on:
So more people on tram, bus, taxi.

 

[weastebusdepot]

But a lot of people won’t attempt train knowing there is a strike on:
So more people on tram, bus, taxi.

You'd expect so. But there's a certain proportion of people who come back from their holidays and only start to plan their onward travel after they have touched down.

 

[800001]

You'd expect so. But there's a certain proportion of people who come back from their holidays and only start to plan their onward travel after they have touched down.

In percentage terms that isn’t very many

 

[Jamesrob637]

TfW is still running an hourly service to/from Manchester Airport on Thursday, but that will be the only service running out of there. Normally there are six trains an hour between Manchester Airport and Manchester Piccadilly, so fitting six trains worth of passengers on a two coach unit is going to be challenging to say the least!

Two:

Northern Manchester Airport to Liverpool Lime Street via the Chat Moss is on, but nothing else west of the Pennines.

 

[Facing Back]

Just to point out that Transport for Wales has changed Driver's T&Cs to be more productive (including placing Sundays in the working week) - but did so by adopting approach of negotiation.



With a change of Government, there is hope for a new attitude. One in which proper negotiations can take place to move our railway forward.

Fair point

Sorry this is nonsense. Whether the public support train drivers is irrelevant. The fact is the strikes cost the economy (especially leisure) money, and they create a perception the country is failing, 1970s style. There is no doubt they have cost the country far more in reputation alone than they have in money saved by not settling two years ago.

Rubbish. I'd like to see your stats on the strike's impact on the economy.

 

[TBSchenker]

Nonsense. ASLEF staff are mostly paid above the national average so there isn't much public support for a tax increase or a fares increase to pay them more. If they were amongst the least well paid in society it would be different.

Fares have risen every year since 2019. Drivers for several companies haven't had a payrise for 5 years. Guards, Signallers, Maintenence workers and Station staff settled their dispute over pay and conditions.

You do realise that fare increases and payrises therefore aren't linked.

Imagine in your job having to fund your own "payrise". Obviously I don't know what you do, but say you were on an 8 hour day with a 30 minute paid break. To get a 4% pay increase you now have to work 8 hours 15, and only have a 20 minute break.

The analogy may be simple, but changing terms and conditions for a pay increase is not a pay rise. Its a productivity change.

Rubbish. I'd like to see your stats on the strike's impact on the economy.

Well we have got this quote direct from the Rail Minister in 2023. I'd imagine that figure has grown quite considerably.

Rail strikes cost UK £1bn and settling would have been cheaper, minister admits

Huw Merriman insists the need for reform to working practices made the standoff necessary

www.theguardian.com

Rail strikes cost UK £1bn and settling would have been cheaper, minister admits​

 

[Moderating team]

Looks like we are starting to go round in circles again with the same arguments for and against strike action being repeated.

The Aslef dispute has been going on for a year now and with most people having had a chance to have their say in this and other threads we shall cease proceedings here and only allow a new thread when there is a positive development this now long running dispute.

Thanks all