Southeastern will not run any trains on December 6 due to a series of one-day strikes and a nine-day ban on overtime.

A number of train services across the country are affected by the strikes, but on different dates, with Southeastern Railway facing key disruption on December 6.

The union action is due to a long-running dispute over pay.

The Aslef union said the new walkouts will “ratchet up the pressure” on train companies and the Government to give train drivers their first pay rise in more than four years.

Southeastern Railway wrote in a statement on its website: “If the strike action is cancelled at short notice, we may not be able to switch back to our normal timetable immediately.

“Rail services are built in complex, interrelated IT systems covering fleet, crew schedules and rosters, and so it takes some time to get everything back to normal.

“We're very sorry for any inconvenience the strike action will cause you. If previous strike action has affected your travel plans then please visit our strike refund page for more information.”

Strike action by ASLEF at other train operators is also taking place on the following dates:

• Saturday, December 2 – East Midlands Railway and LNER

• Sunday, December 3 – Avanti West Coast, Chiltern, Great Northern, Thameslink and West Midlands Trains

• Tuesday, December 5 – C2C and Greater Anglia • Wednesday, December 6 – Southeastern, Southern/Gatwick Express, SWR main line, SWR depot drivers and Island Line

• Thursday, December 7– Cross Country and GWR

• Friday , December 8– Northern and TPT All Aslef members will refuse to work any overtime from Friday December 1 to Saturday December 9.

Aslef said it has previously called all its members out on strike on the same day but, by spreading the action, the ramifications for the rail industry will be “greater”.

“We are determined to win this dispute and get a significant pay rise for train drivers who have not had an increase since 2019, while the cost of living, in that time, has soared,” Aslef general secretary Mick Whelan said.

“The Transport Secretary, who has gone missing in action during this dispute, says we should put the offer to our members.

“What the minister apparently fails to understand is that, since the Rail Delivery Group’s (RDG) risible offer in April, we have received overwhelming mandates, on enormous turnouts, for more industrial action.

“Our members have spoken and we know what they think. Every time they vote – and they have voted overwhelmingly – for strike action in pursuit of a proper pay rise it is a clear rejection of the offer that was made in April.

“The RDG’s offer – a land grab for all our terms and conditions – was made in the full knowledge that it couldn’t – and wouldn’t – be accepted.”

A spokesman for the Rail Delivery Group said: “This wholly unnecessary strike action called by the Aslef leadership will sadly disrupt customers and businesses ahead of the vital festive period, while further damaging the railway at a time when it is still getting an extra is £175 million a month in taxpayer cash.

“The fair and affordable offer made by industry, which would take average driver base salaries for a four-day week from £60,000 to nearly £65,000, remains on the table.

“We urge the Aslef leadership to put it to its members, give Christmas back to our passengers, and end this damaging industrial dispute.”

A Department for Transport spokesman said: “It is disappointing that Aslef are targeting the public and hospitality businesses at the beginning of the festive period when there is a fair and reasonable pay offer for train drivers on the table that would take their salary up to an average of £65,000 for a 35-hour, four-day week.

“Taxpayers contributed £1,000 per household to protect train drivers’ jobs during the pandemic. Instead of going on strike, Aslef should be following in the footsteps of the other rail unions and giving their members a vote on this fair pay deal.”