Both Rounds of Elizabeth Line Strikes Cancelled
Drivers' union says it is considering a revised pay offer
ASLEF members voted overwhelmingly to reject 4.5% pay increase
February 28, 2025
Strikes schedule to take place on the Elizabeth line this Thursday and Saturday (27 February and 1 March) and Saturday 8 and Monday 10 March have been suspended.
The drivers’ union ASLEF says that its executive committee is met this Wednesday to consider a revised pay offer from the company.
The line’s operator, MTR, is understood to have made an initial offer of 4.5% but no details of the new deal have been made public.
There are around 500 drivers employed on the line and 95% of those who voted in a turnout of 88% supported rejecting the earlier offer from MTR.
It is understood that a typical train driver’s salary on the line is £72,465 for a 34-hour, four-day week – which would have risen by £3,261 to £75,726 under the proposed increase.
A driver instructor’s salary would have risen from £75,430 to £78,824 while a driver team leader’s salary would have increased from £76,090 to £79,514.
Mick Whelan, ASLEF's general secretary, accused MTR of being intransigent due to it being about to replaced as the line’s operator. On 24 May it will hand over to a consortium of Go-Ahead Group, Tokyo Metro and Sumitomo Corporation.
MTR's managing director Mike Bagshaw said the initial offer maintained Elizabeth drivers’ status as some of the highest paid in the industry and enhanced their terms and conditions.
The Elizabeth line is the busiest rail line in the UK and is used for more than 700,000 weekday journeys.
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