A written commitment that LNER will end the practice would most likely be enough for the union to enter into negotiations. A commitment to increase driver numbers to the required levels could form the basis of a long-term agreement.
Royal Mail’s plan to end mail train operations after almost 200 years by October 10 will lead to redundancies at DB Cargo, which provides around 20 drivers for Royal Mail mail trains who are also Aslef members.
This offers LNER an immediate recruitment opportunity, a union spokesman said.
DB Cargo said talks with Aslef about layoffs will begin this week. The company also laid off around 90 drivers last year as freight volumes struggled to recover from Covid. Some of them may still be available for recruitment, according to a spokesperson.
DB Cargo, a subsidiary of Deutsche Bahn, told The Telegraph that not all of the drivers involved worked exclusively for Royal Mail; some were needed for Network Rail’s leaf-blowing service over the autumn.
Most Royal Mail staff are qualified to drive on the west coast main line and would need retraining, but some have experience working on the east coast and have a depot near Newcastle.
LNER declined to comment on Aslef’s allegations regarding staff shortages and the use of managers to drive the trains.
It reiterated comments made after the strikes were announced last Friday, saying: “We are surprised and disappointed to hear this news following recent constructive talks. We will continue to work with Aslef to find a way to end this long-standing dispute.”
