Have you arrived in London, and would like to continue your journey, like more and more French people, to Manchester, Oxford, Canterbury or Brighton?
Find out well in advance of your stay: you risk being blocked by the numerous strikes planned at the start of the year which affect the railway network.
However, don't panic when arriving or leaving England, the Eurostar will not be affected.
With the walkouts in Germany having just ended, it is the turn of the country of tea to reconnect with a social movement which has been bogged down for several years – and to which the British have, by force of circumstances, come to terms.
Led by the Aslef union (for
Associated Society of Locomotive Engineers and Firemen
), train drivers from 14 railway operators began a work stoppage on January 30 which is due to last a week, until February 5.
The strike movements called by Aslef have lasted for two years.
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Aslef also refuses to work overtime: started on January 29, this ban on overtime will end on February 6.
Therefore, if no strike is planned for February 1 and 4, train delays and cancellations may occur.
In detail, Aslef members will alternate strike days in January and February.
On January 30, SouthWestern Railway, Southeastern, Southern, Gatwick Express, Great Northern and Thameslink went on strike.
This January 31, disruptions are expected on the lines operated by Northern and TransPennine Express.
On February 2, it's Greater Anglia, C2C and LNER's turn.
The next day, West Midlands, Avanti West Coast and East Midlands Railway trains will be affected by social movements.
Finally, on February 5, it will be the turn of Great Western, CrossCountry and Chiltern to strike.
And that's not all: the rail union RMT (for
National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers
) also called for a strike twice in February and March, with two days of walkouts at every time.
These are scheduled for February 19 and 20 and March 4 and 5.
Please note, they only concern the London Overground, this railway network which serves the greater London area.
It is strongly recommended to keep up to date with the latest information regarding social movements via the National Rail website.
Also read: Eurostar trains run with hundreds of empty seats, even during peak hours
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The minimum service will not be provided
The Aslef union, which represents train drivers, has called on British operators to ignore the "minimum service" bill during Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's strikes.
The text aims to limit disruptions to certain public services such as health, customs, education and transport during periods of stoppages.
To do this, the law will authorize, if it passes, employers to require the maintenance of a minimum level of service – set at 40% of normal hours – during social conflicts.
This text was adopted on January 30 in the House of Commons and must still be validated by the House of Lords.
The railway strikes began in June 2022. To date, this social movement constitutes the largest period of social action since 1989. Other sectors of the public service demanding wage increases have also been affected by walkouts, particularly those in health and education.