Train drivers to strike in September, Aslef says; Ofgem price cap forecast to fall to £1,823

Jul 09, 2023

Train drivers are to stage a fresh strike in their long-running dispute over pay, threatening more travel chaos for passengers.

Members of Aslef will walk out on 1 September and will be subject to an overtime ban on 2 September, the same day as a strike by other rail staff.

The National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers announced a week ago that 20,000 of its members from 14 train operators would halt work on 26 August and 2 September as part of their own dispute.

Aslef said its strike will force train companies across England to cancel all services, while the ban on overtime would “seriously disrupt” the network.

The typical gas and electricity bill will fall to an average of £1,823 a year from October after the regulator, Ofgem, announces its energy price cap next week, a leading forecaster has predicted.

According to Cornwall Insight, the cap will drop from the current July to September level – equivalent to £2,074 a year – but consumer groups have warned that prices remain “dangerously high”.

Bills are likely to rise again from January to an average of £1,979 a year as a consequence of the recent surge in global gas market prices ignited by a string of planned strikes at major gas projects in Australia, the analysts said.

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Thank you for reading. Have a great weekend. We’ll be back next week. Bye! – JK