MORE rail strike dates have been announced following the rejection of a pay offer.

Train drivers, who are members of the ASLEF union, will walk out on Wednesday, February 1 and Friday, February 3.

The affected rail operators which run through York station are: Cross Country, London North Easter Railway (LNER), Northern Trains, and Transpennine Express.

Mick Whelan, ASLEF general secretary, said that the pay offer was "not acceptable".

Mr Whelan explained: "Not only is the offer a real-terms pay cut, but it came with so many conditions attached that it was clearly unacceptable.

"Our members have not had an increase since 2019, despite soaring inflation, and it is time the companies – encouraged, perhaps, by the Government – sat down with us and got serious.

"That is the only way to end this dispute.”

A Rail Delivery Group spokesman said: "It’s disappointing our fair and affordable offer, which would take average driver base salaries from £60,000 to nearly £65,000 by the end of 2023 pay awards, wasn’t put to the Aslef members.

“With taxpayers still funding up to an extra £175 million a month to make up the shortfall in revenue post-Covid, it provided a significant salary uplift while bringing in long overdue reforms that would mean more reliable services for passengers.

"Rather than announcing further strikes, we ask Aslef to recognise the financial challenge the industry is facing and work with us to deliver a better railway with a strong long-term future."

The first strike date coincides with a walk out by civil servants in their disputes over pay and jobs, a walk out by teachers over pay, and nationwide protests against the Government's new strike law.