How the latest batch of rail strikes will affect the Black County and surrounding areas

ASLEF, the trade union representing train drivers, has announced strike action from today and an overtime ban between Thursday, April 4 and Saturday April 6 and between Monday, April 8 and Tuesday April 9.

The strike action means that passengers across the Black Country will be hit with delays along the West Coast Mainline and Birmingham Snow Hill Lines, both of which regularly see West Midlands Railways services.

There will be no West Midlands Railway services running on Friday April 5, with a number of services in the region also affected by the strikes on Saturday, through to Tuesday, April 9.

Services will be subject to disruption and cancellations during this period.

On Saturday, two services between Shrewsbury and Birmingham New Street will not run, with neither the 8.56pm between Birmingham New Street to Shrewsbury and the 10.40pm out of Shropshire to Birmingham New Street.

This will affect passengers in the region heading to Shifnal, Cosford, Albrighton, Codsall, Bilbrook, Wolverhampton and Smethwick Galton Bridge.

Meanwhile, on Monday and Tuesday, the same service will see eight more trains not operating, with the 7.10am, 6.40pm, 9.40pm and 10.40pm services between Shrewsbury and Birmingham New Street not running, while the 5.56am, 5.26pm, 8.04pm and 10.56pm services between Birmingham New Street and Shrewsbury will not run.

One train has also been cancelled running between Birmingham New Street and Rugeley, with the 11.22pm service not running on either Monday or Tuesday.

ASLEF general secretary Mick Whelan said the union had called for talks after announcing renewed mandates for industrial action, highlighting that train drivers have not had an increase in salary since 2019.

He said: "Our members voted overwhelmingly, yet again, for strike action.

"Those votes show a clear rejection by train drivers of the ridiculous offer put to us in April last year by the Rail Delivery Group, which knew that offer would be rejected because a land grab for all the terms and conditions we have negotiated over the years would never be accepted by our members.

"Since then, train drivers have voted, time and again, to take action in pursuit of a pay rise.

"That's why Mark Harper, the Transport Secretary, is being disingenuous when he says that offer should have been put to members.

"Drivers wouldn't vote for industrial action, again and again and again, if they thought that was a good offer.

"That offer was dead in the water in April last year and Mr Harper knows that."

He said that ASLEF members remain solidly behind the campaign, and in many cases want to go "harder and faster" because of the lack of progress.

A Department for Transport spokesperson said: "ASLEF is the only rail union continuing to strike, targeting passengers and preventing their own members from voting on the pay offer that remains on the table.

"Having resolved disputes with all other rail unions, the Transport Secretary and rail minister have ensured that a pay offer is on the table - taking train drivers' average salaries from £60,000 up to £65,000."

A Rail Delivery Group spokesperson said: "Nobody wins when industrial action impacts people's lives and livelihoods, and we will work hard to minimise any disruption to our passengers.

"We want to resolve this dispute, but the ASLEF leadership need to recognise that hard-pressed taxpayers are continuing to contribute an extra £54m a week just to keep services running post-Cvoid.

"We continue to seek an agreement with the ASLEF leadership and remain open to talks to find a solution to this dispute."

To find out which rail services are affected in your area, go to westmidlandsrailway.co.uk/travel-information/journey-planning/service-disruption/industrial-action