Train drivers on the Avanti West Coast route between London and Manchester have secured a pay increase and improved working conditions, averting a threatened strike. The deal includes a 3.6 percent pay raise, above inflation, as well as enhanced payments for Sunday and rest-day work.

Under the new agreement, drivers will receive time-and-a-half for working on Sundays and can earn up to an additional £720 for working a standard five-day week. Drivers on this route typically earn around £70,000 annually.

The agreement was reached after members of the Aslef union rejected an earlier pay offer and voted in favor of industrial action. Leaked union correspondence indicated that the threat of strikes accelerated negotiations between the union, Avanti West Coast, and the government. Following the ballot result, union representatives met with rail bosses, leading to the improved offer.

Si Goode, Aslef council secretary, expressed satisfaction with the outcome, stating that the union had met its collective aspirations and significantly improved pay and remuneration for its members. The operator, Avanti West Coast, had previously faced criticism for cutting services and punctuality issues, with 5.6 percent of its scheduled services cancelled in the past year and only 57.4 percent arriving on time.

This development has drawn criticism from the Conservative Party. Shadow transport secretary Richard Holden accused Labour of capitulating to union demands and suggested that taxpayers would bear the cost of the agreement. He stated, "Taxpayers are being asked to stump up millions simply to save Burnham's blushes." "This is Labour paying more for less with passengers and taxpayers footing the bill."

The Department for Transport defended the agreement, asserting that resolving rail disputes prevents costly disruption for passengers and taxpayers. Government figures indicate that industrial action on railways between June 2022 and August 2024 resulted in approximately £850 million in lost passenger revenue. A spokesperson for the department stated, "We are pleased to see both Avanti West Coast and LNER work with Aslef to enable a fair and affordable settlement to keep Britain's railways moving and prevent disruption for passengers."

In a separate development, LNER drivers have been offered a deal reportedly worth 12 percent over four years, alongside changes to working conditions, which Aslef has put to its members for a vote.

The settlement follows a recent agreement between resident doctors and the government, which ended years of strikes. That deal, accepted by the British Medical Association, includes an average 6.6 percent pay uplift to be fully implemented by April 2027, reforms to the pay structure, and increased specialist training places. The BMA reported that 53 percent of its members voted in favor of the offer. Resident doctors' strikes had previously cost the NHS an estimated £3 billion.