Railroad to nowhere

Days after a pay deal was said to have been reached, Aslef announced more weekend strikes. Simon Calder wonders if UK train travel will ever be a reliable and affordable option

- Simon Calder

The airlines can hardly believe their luck. British Airways, easyJet and Ryanair have seen sales for their links between London and Edinburgh thrive over the past three summers since regular rail strikes began in 2022.

More passengers were encouraged to move from trains to planes when former prime minister Rishi Sunak halved the tax on domestic flights - making rail relatively more expensive.

Airline bosses may have expected the tide to change following the rail pay deal on Wednesday between the transport secretary, Louise Haigh, and the train drivers' union, Aslef. Union members are expected to vote overwhelmingly in favour of a 15 per cent wage rise, covering three years.

Yet less than 48 hours after that national agreement was reached, Aslef announced 22 more strike dates. Train drivers will walk out on LNER, the main operator on the flagship East Coast Main Line, every weekend from 31 August to 10 November 2024, in a separate dispute said to be in response to "bullying by management and persistent breaking of agreements by the company".

Anyone travelling on LNER routes who needs certainty on strike days must either try to find seats on the budget rail operator Lumo or the slower West Coast route; go by road; or head for the airport.