Drivers
belonging
to
ASLEF
are
striking
at
14
English
train
operators
today,


and
ASLEF
leader
Mick
Whelan
is
warning
that
more
walkouts
are
possible
unless
there
is
a
settlement
in
the
meantime.

Train
services
are
also
being
disrupted
this
week
by
two
48-hour
RMT
strikes,
the
first
of
which
was
on
Tuesday
and
Wednesday
and
the
second
will
be
tomorrow
and
Saturday.
RMT
walkouts
include
Network
Rail
staff,
and
many
lines
are
closed
because
no
signallers
are
available.
About
one
in
five
services
run,
but
only
on
some
key
routes.

Speaking
to
the
BBC
this
morning,
Mick
Whelan
said:
‘What
we
see
at
the
moment
is
just
a
blanket
“we
want
not
to
pay
you,
and
we
don’t
want
to
pay
you
for
what
you
do”.
That
isn’t
working
together
or
making
offers
to
change
working
practices.’

It
has
been
reported
that
drivers
are
being
offered
an
annual
pay
rise
of
£2000,
but
Mr
Whelan
responded:
‘If
that
turns
out
to
be
an
offer
and
they’ve
leaked
it
to
the
press
…
I
think
that’s
self
defeating.
It
breaches
the
trust
and
the
honourability
of
the
negotations
that
we’re
in.
I
keep
being
asked,
quite
naturally,
“would
you
accept
this?”.
I
don’t
know
what
the
strings
are.’

He
added:
‘I
would
much
rather
be
here
arguing
against
future
cuts
to
our
timetables
…
I
would
rather
be
talking
to
you
about
the
green
agenda
and
investment.
I
would
rather
talk
about
growth.
I
want
to
get
back
to
my
day
job.’

The
operators
affected
today
are
Avanti
West
Coast,
Chiltern
Railways,
CrossCountry,
East
Midlands
Railway,
Govia
Thameslink
Railway
(including
Gatwick
Express),
Great
Western
Railway,
Greater
Anglia
(including
Stansted
Express),
Heathrow
Express,
LNER,
West Midlands
Trains
(London
Northwestern
and
West
Midlands
Railway),
Northern,
South
Western
Railway
(including
Island
Line),
Southeastern
and
TransPennine
Express.