Summary

  • Rail passengers face more disruption as train drivers at seven companies walk out in a dispute over pay

  • The strike by members of the Aslef union is scheduled for 24 hours, with disturbance expected to continue into Sunday

  • Peter Hendy, chairman of Network Rail, says unless Britain's railway industry is modernised, it could enter a "managed decline" as it did 30 or 40 years ago

  • Meanwhile, Transport Secretary Grant Shapps says that today's industrial action brings a "whiff of the Seventies" and accuses union leaders of "holding a gun" to the government's head

  • Affected operators are Arriva Rail London, Greater Anglia, Great Western, Hull Trains, LNER, Southeastern and West Midlands Trains

  • This is the second strike action of the week and impacts the first games of the season for most English Football League clubs and the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham

  • Aslef's Mick Whelan has described the day's strike by train drivers as "solidly supported"

Live Reporting

Edited by Jeremy Gahagan

  1. Sacked Labour shadow minister joins picket line

    Turning now to the picket line where Sam Tarry, Labour's former shadow transport minister who was sacked from the frontbench this week, is showing his solidarity with rail workers again.

    Tarry has joined London Assembly transport lead Elly Baker at Paddington Station in London this morning in support of striking Aslef members.

    He was removed from his post on Wednesday, hours after joining strikers at an RMT picket line at London's Euston Station.

    Labour leader Keir Starmer, who previously banned frontbenchers from joining picket lines, said Tarry was fired for booking himself onto media programmes without permission and making up policy "on the hoof".

    The former minister also appeared alongside former Labour leader and now Independent MP Jeremy Corbyn at a rally for striking BT workers yesterday.

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  2. Modernisation needed before pay rises, says rail body

    Steve MontgomeryPA Media

    In response to today's strike, the body that represents train companies has said that the rail industry must be modernised before pay increases can be offered.

    Steve Montgomery, chairman of the Rail Delivery Group, told the BBC that the pandemic has badly affected the industry, which is only back to approximately 75% of revenues, and there is no "magic money tree" that privatised companies can avail of.

    "The industry has been heavily funded by the taxpayer and what we're asking is for Aslef to come and have meaningful discussions on how we modernise rail, how do we bring forward new terms and conditions that can help pay for pay increases for their staff," he said.

    "We're not saying to people work longer hours, we're saying be more productive within the hours you currently have, that in itself with free up significant amounts of money and we can then give our staff pay increases."

    Steve Montgomery, Chairman of the Rail Delivery Group

  3. Train drivers looking for realistic pay rise - Aslef boss

    We've been hearing more from Mick Whelan, the general secretary of Aslef, who is out on the picket line in Willesden in London this morning.

    He told the BBC that striking train drivers want to be able to negotiate a wage increase, adding that the government had prevented rail operators from offering union members a pay increase of more than 2%.

    Speaking to Radio 4's Today programme, he said drivers need to see an increase in their wages given the cost of living crisis.

    "For the last three years we've had no pay rises, the people we work for will be making hundred of millions of pounds and giving money to their shareholders," he said.

    "The companies we have free collective bargaining with should come and talk to us under the process we have, offer a realistic pay rise, bring it to our members and let them decide."

  4. Who's on strike and why?

    A flag on an Aslef picket linePA Media

    Around 5,000 members of the drivers union Aslef at seven train operators are walking out for 24 hours today in the latest strike within the rail industry.

    The industrial action is part of the ongoing row between unions and the government and rail companies over pay.

    It follows a strike by RMT union members on Wednesday which saw some 40,000 workers at Network Rail and 14 train operating companies walk out.

    Mick Whelan, general secretary of Aslef, says the union's members had not had a pay rise since 2019 and want the "ability to negotiate".

    He says drivers want an increase in line with the cost of living and "to be able to buy, in 2022, what we could buy in 2021".

  5. What lines are affected?

    The picket line at Euston station on Saturday 30 JulyAFP

    Today's industrial action by members of the Aslef union will affect seven operators. It's set to be the biggest strike of train drivers in decades.

    The affected operators are:

    • Arriva Rail London (which operates the London Overground)
    • Great Western
    • Greater Anglia
    • Southeastern
    • Hull Trains
    • West Midlands Trains
    • LNER, which will be operating an extremely limited service

    The strike will last 24 hours. In London, there will be no Overground services into the early hours of Sunday.

  6. Good morning

    Hello and welcome to our live coverage, focusing on Saturday's rail strikes that see drivers from seven operators walk out over pay.

    The 24-hour strike by about 5,000 members of the Aslef union will affect lines across England.

    Travel to the first games of the season for most English Football League clubs, the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, the Community Shield between Liverpool and Manchester City in Leicester and a Lady Gaga gig will be impacted.

    We'll keep you updated with all the latest developments.