It surely wasn’t a pleasant morning for users of Southern train services. As drivers of the ASLEF Union have started their overtime ban, almost a quarter of the Southern Rail services will be cut today and tomorrow. Commuters already experienced the effect of the ban this morning when their trains had been canceled or when they found themselves like sardines in rammed wagons.
Around 550 Southern services will be canceled today and tomorrow as train drivers have stopped working extra hours. In particular, there will be no off-peak Gatwick Express service between Brighton and the airport.
Cutting almost a quarter of the services has raised a new wave of frustration among commuters who have widely spread their anger on social media, blaming the company for incompetent management and complaining about their sardine-like travel to work.
The overtime ban is part of the ongoing dispute about driver-only operated trains. It kicks in just as the Association of British Commuters is taking an official complaint about the government’s way of handling Southern Rail to court this morning. Meanwhile, train drivers are deciding on whether or not to take further strike actions.
Southern Rail have already warned passengers that there will be further reductions in services this weekend and during next week. They have, however, put into place a revised timetable which is meant to help commuters deal with the situation.
There has also been an announcement of a new 24-hour strike of RMT Union members on Monday, July 10.
Featured image taken from here.
