Overview
- ASLEF announced on Friday that LNER train drivers will be balloted in the coming weeks on possible strike action after negotiations over a three-year productivity and pay package broke down.
- The union says nine months of talks produced an agreed package but that LNER told negotiators it did not have the mandate to finalise the deal, which prompted ASLEF to move to a formal ballot.
- Any strike would mainly threaten services on the East Coast Main Line, including routes linking London King’s Cross with Leeds, York, Durham, Newcastle, Berwick-upon-Tweed and Edinburgh Waverley.
- LNER says it is continuing to meet with ASLEF as both sides seek a resolution, so no strike dates have been set and the situation remains fluid.
- The dispute follows a multi-year pay agreement reached in August 2024 that raised average driver pay and comes as other recent rail talks have produced varied outcomes, increasing the risk of wider service disruption if the ballot leads to action.