Officials ‘hopeful’ of deal to end train strikes

The train drivers’ union and the government are hopeful a deal can be struck to bring an end the long-running strike action, the BBC understands, as talks over pay are expected to take place on Wednesday.

The negotiations between representatives from Aslef and the Department for Transport will aim to resolve the pay dispute between drivers and train companies in England.

A breakthrough would herald the end of industrial action which has spanned more than two years and saw drivers stage 18 strikes and take part in several overtime bans, leading to cancelled services.

Under the new Labour government, senior officials began direct pay talks with Aslef bosses last month.

Industrial action has continued since Aslef last rejected a pay offer back in April 2023. More recently the union’s tactic has been to spread walk outs over several days, with different operators affected on each day.

The package included successive pay rises of 4%, which the Rail Delivery Group, which represents train companies, said would bring the average annual pay for a driver to £65,000.

However, a significant point of contention, was the conditions attached.

Train companies and the Conservative government argued that changes to ways of working, for example to training and rosters, were necessary to make the railway function more reliably and save money.

They claimed hard-pressed taxpayers are having to contribute millions each week to keep services running.

However, Aslef argued drivers were being asked to sacrifice too much in exchange for too low a wage rise.

The dispute was at a standstill for a year, before signs of progress in May. But the general election was called before there could be a resolution.

Under the previous government, negotiations were conducted by the Rail Delivery Group, but ministers have had to approve any pay offer though, as the government in effect took control of the railway during the Covid pandemic.

When the Labour government was elected in July, transport secretary Louise Haigh said she was “committed to resetting industrial relations”.

The Rail Delivery Group has since been removed from negotiations, with Department for Transport officials leading talks instead in July.