One in three passengers will use trains less following rail strikes

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One in three common rail passengers say they’re travelling by practice less typically because of the frequent strikes – and that their journey patterns have modified completely.

They have been responding to a snap social media ballot carried out by The Independent on the final day of the newest walk-outs by practice drivers belonging to the Aslef union. A complete of two,142 folks voted in the four-hour ballot on X, previously Twitter.

The largest response – 40 per cent – was from individuals who say they’re travelling by rail simply as a lot as earlier than on days free of commercial motion. An extra 27 per cent say they’re utilizing trains less throughout the lengthy and bitter dispute, however they plan to return to the railway as soon as the economic strife is over.

But 33 per cent – one in three respondents in the self-selecting ballot – say the economic motion has modified their journey habits completely.

One passenger, the journey advertising and marketing skilled Steve Dunne, wrote: “I use rail much less these days than I used to – down 70 per cent on 2019.

“With the seemingly constant industrial and union disputes, strikes, work to rule, etc, and ever increasing fares, it makes rail travel too risky and fraught with worry. I mainly do virtual meetings or drive these days.”

Jim Darroch wrote: “I live in Edinburgh and have cut back on train travel as I don’t trust them to run. Could’ve gone to Manchester, Cornwall, York, etc, but it’s too risky. Not just strikes, also the pathetic service level of CrossCountry and TransPennine Express.”

Among the 2 out of 5 passengers who’re travelling the identical quantity, Phil Read wrote: “I’m a regular rail user for leisure and the industrial action has not changed my travel habits at all.

“They are planned in advance and give lots of notice to make other arrangements. It’s the last-minute cancellations caused by the crumbling infrastructure that angers me.

The blogger “Travel Lexx” added: “With GWR being in what can sometimes can only be described as complete disarray due to track/signalling/whatever else problems, it is tough going sometimes!”

Neil Williams is among the many 27 per cent who say they will return to the identical stage of rail use as soon as the dispute is settled. He wrote: “Yes, using the car a lot more. I’ll go back once resolved.” But he added that if a transfer by LNER to scrap off-peak versatile tickets goes nationwide, he would l most likely cease long-distance rail journey nearly totally.

“I value flexibility and the off peak single/return are the tickets I use most,” he wrote.

Train drivers have been placing intermittently since July 2022 in a row over pay and dealing preparations. The employees demand a no-strings rise, whereas the federal government insists that even a modest pay enhance is contingent on radical adjustments to long-standing working preparations – similar to making Sunday a part of the working week in any respect operators.

One of probably the most damaging days in the newest spherical of commercial motion was Sunday 4 February. Thousands of trains have been cancelled as operators similar to Chiltern and West Midlands Railway – who rely on drivers working time beyond regulation to cowl Sunday schedules – closed their networks.

Members of Aslef have been staging a nine-day time beyond regulation ban along with “rolling” regional strikes, designed to trigger most disruption with minimal lack of pay.

Aslef’s constitution requires “the elimination of institutionalised overtime” – together with a mean 32-hour working week and pensions equal to ultimate wage.

As the newest tranche of commercial motion ends, the events concerned are not any nearer to an settlement.

The Independent requested Aslef, the Department for Transport (DfT) and the Rail Delivery Group (RDG), representing the 14 English practice operators concerned in the dispute, the identical query: “Is the dispute between train drivers, rail firms and the government any closer to a settlement?”

Within two minutes, the union responded with a single phrase: “No.”

A DfT spokesperson mentioned: “The transport secretary and rail minister have already facilitated talks with Aslef, leading to a fair and reasonable offer being made that would increase the average train driver’s salary to £65,000 – an offer which remains on the table.

“The government has overseen deals with the RMT, TSSA and Unite, delivering their members a fair and reasonable pay rise. Aslef remains the only rail union that is continuing to deny their members a pay rise by not putting the offer on the table to a vote.”

The union says no talks with ministers have taken place for over a 12 months, and that practice drivers have voted overwhelmingly to proceed industrial motion – successfully a rejection of the supply.

A spokesperson for the RDG mentioned: “There are no winners from these strikes that have caused disruption to our customers. We believe rail can have a bright future, but right now taxpayers are contributing an extra £54 million a week to keep services running post-Covid.

“Aslef’s leadership need to recognise the financial challenge facing rail. Instead of staging more damaging industrial action, we call on the Aslef leadership to work with us to resolve this dispute and deliver a fair deal which both rewards our people, and makes the changes needed to make services more reliable.”

Meanwhile, “Shabiz” concluded: “I’m not travelling less on the rail because of the strikes, I’m travelling less because it’s become such an unreliable means of transport.”

The National Infrastructure Commission has revealed analysis on the long-term results of transport strikes. A paper mentioned: “Studies on the impacts of London Tube strikes in 2015 showed how even a one-day strike action triggered long-term changes in travel demand.

“The disruption forced commuters to find alternative routes and travel modes as Tube lines stopped running or operated on severely reduced service frequencies.

“Around 5 per cent of commuters made long-term changes to regular travel routes.”