Rail passengers will face yet more disruption as train drivers are set to strike in the week of the May bank holiday.

Members of the Aslef union at Thameslink, Southern and Gatwick Express will walk out on Tuesday, May 7, meaning there will be no trains running across Sussex. 

There will also be an overtime ban for six days from May 6.

The union said it has not met employers or the government for more than a year, accusing ministers of “giving up” trying to resolve the near two-year dispute.

Drivers will also strike on May 7 at c2c, Greater Anglia, Southeastern and South Western Railway.

On May 8 there will be strikes at Avanti West Coast, Chiltern Railways, CrossCountry, East Midlands Railway, Great Western Railway and West Midlands Trains.

Aslef members at LNER, Northern Trains and TransPennine Express will strike on May 9.

Aslef said train drivers have not had an increase in salary for five years since their last pay deals expired in 2019.

The union said that after its members voted overwhelmingly in February to continue taking industrial action, it asked the train operating companies to hold talks.

General secretary Mick Whelan said: “It is now a year since we sat in a room with the train companies and a year since we rejected the risible offer they made and which they admitted, privately, was designed to be rejected.

“We first balloted for industrial action in June 2022 after three years without a pay rise. It took eight one-day strikes to persuade the train operating companies (Tocs) to come to the table and talk.

“Our negotiating team met the Rail Delivery Group on eight occasions – the last being on Wednesday, April 26, last year.”

A spokesman for the Rail Delivery Group said: “This wholly unnecessary strike action called by the Aslef leadership will sadly disrupt customers and businesses once again.

“We continue to seek a fair agreement with the Aslef leadership which both rewards our people, gives our customers more reliable services and makes sure the railway isn’t taking more than its fair share from taxpayers.”