Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to minimise disruption from train driver strikes over the festive period.

There are currently no planned train driver strikes over the festive period. However, the ASLEF union has mandates for industrial action ending between February and April for all 14 train operating companies.

Parliament has approved regulations to implement minimum service levels for passenger rail, designed to reduce disproportionate disruption caused by rail strikes. The regulations came into force on 8 December 2023. Whilst it is the Government’s hope that these regulations need not be used, and strike action can be avoided, they provide employers with an additional tool to support passengers by enabling a minimum level of service to be delivered during any strike action affecting services specified in the regulations.