Train drivers are set to go on strike in February after the Aslef trade union rejected the latest proposal from train operators. 

Aslef have announced a strike for Wednesday 1st and Friday 3rd February after they deemed a non-negotiated offer "not ever acceptable". 

Trains in Ealing will be impacted as Great Western Railway trains will be running a reduced service, but they have not yet announced the exact implications, saying they will announce that as soon as possible. 

This will be the seventh train driver strike in the past year, with Aslef having already called ones in July, August, twice in October, November, and January. 

Mick Whelan, general secretary of ASLEF, said: 'The proposal is not and could not ever be acceptable but we are willing to engage in further discussions within the process that we previously agreed.' 

"The companies affected include Avanti West Coast; Chiltern Railways; CrossCountry; East Midlands Railway; Great Western Railway; Greater Anglia; GTR Great Northern Thameslink; London North Eastern Railway; Northern Trains; Southeastern; Southern/Gatwick Express; South Western Railway (depot drivers only); SWR Island Line; TransPennine Express; and West Midlands Trains. 

"It took the train companies six and a half months – and only after six one-day strikes – to make us an offer, at the end of play on Friday 6 January just ahead of our meeting with the Rail Minister, Huw Merriman, at 9.30am on Monday 9 January and the appearance of Mick Whelan before the Transport Select Committee on Wednesday 11 January. 

"It's now clear to our members, and to the public, that this was never about reform or modernisation but an attempt to get hundreds of millions of pounds of productivity for a 20% pay cut while taking away any hope of the union having any say in the future.  

"Irreparable harm has been done to the integrity of the negotiating process and the future ability to negotiate an appropriate way forward, but we make ourselves available anyway. 

"Not only is the offer a real-terms pay cut, with inflation running north of 10%, but it came with so many conditions attached that it was clearly unacceptable.  

"They want to rip up our terms and conditions in return for a real-terms pay cut! It was clearly a rushed offer, made just before our meeting with the minister, and not one, it seems to me, that was designed to be accepted.  

"Our members at these companies have not had an increase since 2019, despite soaring inflation, and it is time the companies – encouraged, perhaps, by the government – sat down with us and got serious. 

"That is the way – and the only way – to end this dispute."