Rail strike will bring virtual shutdown

The railways face a virtual shutdown tomorrow after last-ditch talks failed to halt the start of a series of six one-day strikes by 12,000 drivers.

Company sources yesterday forecast a prolonged dispute after Aslef, the train drivers' union, insisted that the price of peace was a pay rise above the 3.4 per cent inflation rate. BR has told the union in private talks that it will stick to its 3 per cent offer "until hell freezes over".

Many people, tempted by the prospect of a long weekend, rather than a struggle into work, are expected to take a day off tomorrow.

At best only a handful of passenger trains operated by drivers prepared to cross picket lines might run tomorrow, although BR was not hopeful.

Services will begin to run down this evening and will only get back to normal during Saturday morning. BR said that 400 former drivers promoted to supervisory grades would not operate trains in the absence of their subordinates tomorrow.

It is unlikely, however, that BR will be able to operate anything like the same number of services they operated towards the end of last year's disruption by signal workers. Aslef plans a further day-long strike next Tuesday and more stoppages on 27 July, 8 and 25 August and 12 September when they will be joined by London Underground workers.

Over the last three days, BR negotiators offered the prospect of bonuses of up to pounds 200 a year to be paid by train operators who meet financial targets.

They argued that the union was being lead by an inexperienced team and that it had attempted to "get the leadership off the hook".

Lew Adams, the general secretary of Aslef, said he was not interested in "jam tomorrow ... We can sustain our campaign until BR improves its offer."

n A spokesman for the Confederation of British Industry said companies were likely to make strenuous efforts to help their employees get to work, writes Jojo Moyes.

Although last summer central London parks were made available to motorists on rail strike days, this will not be repeated on Friday, when existing parking restrictions will be strictly in force. This is with the exception of a free emergency car park at Royal Victoria Dock in London's Docklands and free coach parking at Victoria Park in east London.