The purple reign of the purple line will be halted for a day as strike actions kick in (Picture: Richard Baker / In Pictures via Getty Images)
It wasn’t too long ago that crowds were celebrating the launch of the Elizabeth Line, the new Transport for London (TfL) service which was much delayed but promises to boost the economy by billions.
Officially launched in 2022, the Elizabeth Line was said to ‘revolutionise’ travel in London by connecting commuter towns in the east and west with its new route.
The Crossrail project cost £18.8 billion to put together and Mayor of London Sadiq Khan said the line would deliver a £42 billion boost to the whole UK economy and create hundreds of thousands of new jobs.
But the line won’t be boosting the economy much this week as staff go on strike as they demand fairer pay.
Commenting, Transport Salaried Staffs’ Association (TSSA) Organiser, Mel Taylor said: ‘Our members have sent the company a very clear message that they are not prepared to be pushed around on pay and pensions.’
‘Frankly, we have been left with little option because we know workers at Rail for London Infrastructure (RfLI) are being paid significantly less than equivalent colleagues across the TfL network.’
When is the strike and what should you expect?
When is the Elizabeth Line strike?
Industrial action by the TSSA Union will take place on Thursday, January 12 affecting Elizabeth line services only.
TSSA have organised a strike and a ‘work to rule’ instruction (Picture: Hesther Ng/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)
TfL explains that, should the strike go ahead as planned:
There will be no service on the central section of the Elizabeth line (Paddington-Abbey Wood)
There will be a reduced service on the east (Liverpool Street-Shenfield) and west (Paddington-Reading/Heathrow) sections of the line
East and west services will run from/to National Rail platforms at Liverpool Street and Paddington
Services may be changed or cancelled at short notice
On the day after the strike, services will still be impacted. There’ll be no service between Abbey Wood and Paddington until approximately 7.30am and nothing will run to or from Paddington and Liverpool Street National Rail stations before that time.
A good service is expected from 9am.
Commuters should also be aware that Elizabeth Line workers will be effectively following a ‘work to rule’ principle from January 12 to February 28.
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A ‘work to rule’ effect is action which stops just short of a strike and, as the name suggests, it’s where workers will honour the rules of their employment almost to the letter – doing the minimum required and no more.
Per iNews, action short of a strike means the staff ‘will only work contracted hours, take breaks and provide cover.’ So this means services could still be disrupted.
Check before setting off and give yourself extra time on important journeys over this period.
Are there strikes on other London Underground and TfL services?
No, the tube and other TfL services will not be striking. But you might expect to see services busier than usual on the day of the Elizabeth Line strike.
Furthermore, Abellio bus drivers will strike on Tuesday, January 10, and Thursday, January 12 – so services could be busier than usual again.
MORE : Can you be fired for striking? Your employment rights explained
MORE : How to join your union – and why you should
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