As the cost of living crisis starts to hit home, workers and trade unions are increasingly making demands for higher wages. Unsurprising, employers and the Government seek to push back against these demands as their own budgets come under pressure. Nowhere is this battle more keenly felt than on the railway, where industrial action is taking place or planned on a number of fronts.
The Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers (RMT) union was first out of the blocks, with nationwide strikes taking place on 21, 23 and 25 June. Despite negotiations apparently having made some headway, the RMT has announced that new strikes will take place on Wednesday 27 July, Thursday 18 August and Saturday 20 August. The members of the RMT include both signalling staff working for Network Rail and guards working for train companies.
Meanwhile, the anachronistically named Associated Society of Locomotive Engineers and Firemen (ASLEF) union has announced its own strike for Saturday 30 July. This covers train drivers on eight train operating companies. The companies subject to the strike include Southeastern but not Southern.
It is not for TLC to take sides in these disputes. We understand the arguments on both sides, but can only observe that passengers seem largely forgotten about in the process. The impact on the strikes on office workers is mitigated by the fact than many people now work partly at home and can easily enough change their working days. In many cases it is key workers, leisure travellers and the hospitality industry that lose out the most. It’s interesting to note that both ASLEF and the RMT now consider it worth while striking on a Saturday, an idea almost inconceivable before the pandemic.
Below we outline the impact on passengers on the days affected by strikes.
Wednesday 27 July (RMT strike)
There will no train services at Tonbridge during this strike. The nearest train service runs from Sevenoaks. This is half hourly service between Sevenoaks and London Bridge, with the first train from Sevenoaks at 08:21 and then last train back from London Bridge at 17:16.
During the RMT strikes in June we pointed out to Southeastern that Sevenoaks and Tonbridge were some of the largest stations in the country without a train service. We’re pleased to see services extended to Sevenoaks but it’s deeply disappointing to see Tonbridge again without any trains. We understand that routes not requiring guards have been prioritised, but local operating rules do allow trains to travel between Sevenoaks and Tonbridge without guards (provided they do not call at Hildenborough). During the last strikes Network Rail did manage make the line to Tonbridge available for some freight trains. It therefore seems quite feasible that some passenger trains might have been planned this time round.
Southern is only running services on a small number of core routes. Disappointingly, but rather unsurprisingly, no services will run on the Tonbridge-Redhill line.
Thursday 28 July (day after the RMT strike)
On the day after the RMT strike there will be late start to services and trains that do run in the morning will be very busy. The first trains from our stations will be:
- Tonbridge to Charing Cross: 07:20
- Hildenborough to Charing Cross: 07:34
- Paddock Wood to Charing Cross: 08:02
- Tonbridge to Edenbridge and Redhill: 07:24
- Edenbridge to Redhill: 07:39
- Redhill to Edenbridge and Tonbridge: 08:51
- Edenbridge to Tonbridge: 09:07
- Tonbridge to Maidstone West: 07:34
- Paddock Wood to Maidstone West: 07:41
Saturday 30 July (ASLEF strike)
Southeastern has announced that during this strike it will run no train services across any part of its network. It seems surprising that it expects no drivers at all to be available. Perhaps it might reassess this situation should there be further ASLEF strikes after July.
Tonbridge-Redhill trains are Southern services and therefore in theory one might expect them to be running. However, many of these services are in fact staffed by Southeastern crews. Having made enquiries to Southern, we’ve been advised that only a skeleton service will run. This is likely to consist of trains every two hours, with longer gaps in the service during mid-morning and the evening and rail replacement buses at the start and end of the day. Those service that do run are likely to be extremely busy, with queuing likely to be in place at Tonbridge. You are strongly advised not to attempt to travel unless absolutely necessary – let’s try to make room for those whose journeys are essential.
For those who absolutely have to get to London, connecting trains to London are available at Redhill. If you can get to Sevenoaks, then in theory Thameslink services should be running from Sevenoaks to London Blackfriars.
Thursday 18 August and Saturday 20 August (RMT strikes)
Services during these strikes have not been announced by either Southeastern or Southern. Should the strikes go ahead, our key demand will be that Southeastern extends its Sevenoaks services to Tonbridge. Morning services on the days after the strikes are also likely be affected (especially Friday 19 August).
The uncertainty caused by the various strikes is draining for passengers. Trips to the theatre and other leisure venues have had to be rearranged, and commuting disrupted. We can only hope that negotiations with both unions are urgently stepped up and sensible compromises are made on both sides to end the disputes. The railway is only just recovering after the pandemic, and these strikes are last thing it needs.