Train drivers at Aslef and signalmen and crew at the RMT union will walk out for 24 hours on October 1 at the start of the Conservative conference. They will be joined by TSSA members at Network Rail and 11 train operating companies. Some Network Rail catering staff at Unite will also be on strike. Only around 11% of services will run on October 1, Network Rail said, with reserve staff running a skeleton service when the RMT and Aslef membership strike on the same day for the first time. The rail industry said passengers should also only travel if absolutely necessary on October 5 and 8, when first Aslef and then the RMT will hold further strikes in the bitter dispute over pay and work changes. Some early morning disruption is expected in the days following each strike. Network Rail chief executive Andrew Haines said: “Our efforts to avoid this disruption have unfortunately been in vain, so we are asking passengers to only travel if absolutely necessary on strike days. Those who need to travel should expect disruption and make sure they check when their last train departs.” Any progress in talks to avert the worst unrest to date looks less likely after Kwasi Kwarteng’s mini-budget on Friday. The government has pledged to introduce minimum service levels during transport strikes, committing rail unions to ensure trains keep running and scrapping their efficiency. The RMT said the moves would anger members. The Rail Delivery Group said the strikes were “unnecessary and damaging” and would affect major events including the London Marathon. Subscribe to Business Today Get ready for the business day – we’ll point you to all the business news and analysis you need every morning Privacy Notice: Newsletters may contain information about charities, online advertising and content sponsored by external parties. For more information, see our Privacy Policy. We use Google reCaptcha to protect our website and Google’s Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. Affected passengers can use any pre-booked tickets on alternative days, change their tickets or get a refund, RDG said.
