London rail strikes in June 2023: Walkouts to disrupt FA Cup Final and Epsom Derby

New train strike dates have been announced after rail unions rejected the most recent pay deal offered by the Rail Delivery Group (RDG).

Following two days of walkouts in May, Aslef union members are also set to strike on Saturday June 3.

The date has attracted consternation from some quarters as it will coincide with the FA Cup final at Wembley between Manchester City and Manchester United, and the Epsom Derby.

An overtime ban for ASLEF members is also being implemented for June 1.

What dates are the London strikes taking place?

Aslef members from 15 train companies will walkout on Friday May 12, Wednesday May 31, and Saturday June 3 2023.

RMT members from 14 companies will also strike on Saturday May 13.

Which London train lines will be affected?

The rail operators impacted by the strikes are Avanti West Coast; c2c (May 13 only); Chiltern Railways; CrossCountry; East Midlands Railway; Gatwick Express; Great Northern; Great Western Railway; Greater Anglia / Stansted Express; Heathrow Express (May 12, 31 and June 3); LNER; London Northwestern Railway; Northern; Southeastern; Southern; South Western Railway; Thameslink; TransPennine Express; West Midlands Railway.

Passengers are advised to check National Rail’s website closer to the date before travelling.

Regular services will all be running on the underground, overground, and Elizabeth lines, but they are expected to be busier than usual.

Will there be Tube strikes?

TSSA union members working on the Elizabeth line will strike on Wednesday May 24, coinciding with the first anniversary of the new line.

The RMT Union is re-balloting its members for strike action on the London Underground, and its current mandate to undertake strike action ends in June.

What is Aslef saying?

Mick Whelan, Aslef’s general secretary, said: “We do not want to go on strike — we do not want to inconvenience passengers, we have families and friends who use the railway, too, and we believe in investing in rail for the future of this country.

“But the blame for this action lies, fairly and squarely, at the feet of the employers who have forced our hand over this by their intransigence.

“It is now up to them to come up with a more sensible, and realistic, offer and we ask the government not to hinder this process.”

What is the Rail Delivery Group saying?

A Rail Delivery Group (RDG) spokesperson said: “We urge the Aslef leadership to rejoin us at the negotiating table and work with us to find a solution to the issues our industry faces and so we can give our people the pay rise we have always said we wanted to do.”