Members of the Aslef union will walk out on 12 and 31 May, and then again when Wembley Stadium hosts Manchester City and Manchester United in the FA Cup final on 3 June. That date is also in the sporting calendar for the Epsom Derby.
The train drivers' union said it has rejected a “risible” 4 per cent pay offer from the 16 train companies with whom it remains in dispute. General secretary Mick Whelan said drivers have not had a pay rise at these companies since 2019.
Whelan said: “Our executive committee met this morning and rejected a risible proposal we received from the Rail Delivery Group (RDG). The proposal – of just 4 per cent – was clearly not designed to be accepted, as inflation is still running north of 10 per cent and our members at these companies have not had an increase for four years.
“The RDG, in turn, rejected our proposals to modernise Britain’s railways and help them run more efficiently, for passengers and for businesses, in the...