Andy Burnham agrees pay rises for train drivers after threat of strike action

Train drivers including those operating the London-Manchester line used by Andy Burnham are set to receive an above-inflation pay rise of 3.6 per cent.

The wage deal between Avanti West Coast and the Aslef union is the first to be approved under the prime minister, who frequently travels up from the capital to work at No 10 North.

The company runs services from London to destinations including Glasgow, Manchester, Liverpool and Blackpool.

Aslef has secured time-and-a-half pay on Sundays, a single-year wage rise of 3.6 per cent – 0.7 per cent higher than the latest inflation rate – and up to £720 for turning up to work on a fifth day of the working week, as first reported by the Sunday Times.

It comes after the union announced plans at the end of June to ballot members in the following weeks on whether to launch strikes in a dispute over pay.

An Aslef spokesperson said on Saturday: “Our job is to enhance our members’ terms and conditions and this deal, struck with Avanti West Coast and approved by the DFTO (Department for Transport Operator), has been accepted.”

A Department for Transport spokesperson said: “This Government has prioritised resolving the rail union disputes, improving services for passengers and saving hundreds of millions in lost revenue to ease the burden on taxpayers.

“We are pleased to see Avanti West Coast work with Aslef to enable a fair and affordable settlement to keep Britain’s railways moving and prevent disruption for passengers.”