Southern trains from Uckfield and Buxted are running into London Bridge station, which re-opened this morning (June 5) at 5am after Saturday night’s terrorist attack.
The first two trains from Uckfield this morning, the 05:16 and 05:40, both left on time.
London Bridge station is fully open and London Bridge itself (across the Thames) has also re-opened, allowing full access to the City.
*London Bridge station was closed on Sunday.
Overtime ban called off
A train drivers’ overtime ban on Southern Railways – due to start yesterday (Sunday June 4) was suspended for two weeks to allow time for negotiations.
The announcement from the ASLEF union said it was “to find a resolution to the long-running dispute over driver only operation and to allow all outstanding issues to be discussed”.
It said: “The union will also sit down with the company in parallel, but separate, talks to try to resolve a range of issues. These include drivers’ terms and conditions; industrial relations; and pay.”
Seeking a resolution
Mick Whelan, general secretary of ASLEF, added: ‘The company has indicated that it is prepared to negotiate with us on a range of outstanding issues and, therefore, we have suspended our overtime ban.
“We now have a fortnight to try and find a resolution which will work for passengers, for staff, and for the company, too.”
Driver Only Operated
Southern said: “We aim to continue to find a way forward over the next few weeks and hope to agree a final resolution.”
The dispute is over what is known as DOO (driver only operated) trains and began more than a year ago with first, RMT guards striking. They were later joined by an overtime ban by ASLEF drivers.
Negotiators for Southern and ASLEF twice struck a deal; each time it was rejected in a ballot by the drivers.
For Uckfield Line passengers, the last overtime ban saw services badly affected with virtually every other peak-time train knocked out.
