More woes for British travellers as 15 train companies announce January 5 strike

Drivers at 15 train companies in Britain will strike on Jan. 5 as part of an ongoing dispute over pay, the ASLEF trade union said on Tuesday.

The union said the strike action would bring “services on affected lines to a halt”. More widespread walkouts have been announced by other sectors over demands for better pay amid soaring inflation and cost of living.

The Associated Society of Locomotive Engineers and Firemen (ASLEF) union has previously carried out five one-day strikes this year and say they now have “a mandate for industrial action for the next six months”.

“The way to stop this is for the companies to make a serious and sensible offer and for the government not to put a spoke in the wheels,” ASLEF said in a statement.

The companies affected by the latest action include Avanti West Coast, Chiltern Railways, CrossCountry, East Midlands Railway, Great Western Railway, Greater Anglia, GTR Great Northern Thameslink, London North Eastern Railway, Northern Trains, Southeastern, Southern/Gatwick Express, SWR Island Line, TransPennine Express, West Midlands Trains and depot drivers on South Western Railway.