ASLEF drivers' union has denied reports by South West Trains that its driver members are planning to go on strike.

This is despite ASLEF's announcement on Tuesday of the proposed strike dates – which will run from one minute past midnight on 31 March to midnight on 3 April – over a pay dispute.

The union is claiming that negotiations are still taking place, however, but the rail operator said it questioned in that case why a ballot for strike action was held and a notification of industrial action letter sent.

Despite the threatened action South West Trains said it would run at least 300 train services each day and would have buses from sister company Stagecoach Bus at its disposal from depots throughout the UK.

South West Trains took over the rail franchise in 1996. It employs around 5,200 staff and runs 1,675 trains every weekday, serving 215 stations.

Approximately 160 million passenger journeys a year are made on South West Train routes through Hampshire, Surrey, Dorset, Wiltshire, Berkshire, Devon, Somerset, Cornwall, Middlesex and Greater London.

The company said it had offered a pay increase of 4.5 per cent to union members, which would give a driver working in the London area a basic salary before overtime of £40,447 for a 37-hour, 4.4-day week.

All other trades unions offered the deal have accepted it or recommended it to their non-driver members in a ballot.

Stewart Palmer, managing director of South West Trains, said that he regretted the significant disruption industrial action would cause to the firm’s passengers.

He reassured them that the company would do everything possible to avoid the strike taking place.

“If they do go ahead, however, we will pull out all the stops to run as many trains and buses as we can. We are very disappointed that ASLEF has taken this decision as we believe that this is a very good offer in the current economic climate,” Palmer concluded.

A further meeting between ASLEF representatives and South West Trains is scheduled to take place on Thursday.

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