ARRIVA Trains Wales has confirmed the proposed 48-hour industrial action by its driver union members will go ahead on Thursday, November 12 and Friday, November 13.

All Arriva Trains Wales services over these days will be cancelled.

The company is advising customers to make alternative travel arrangements for these days.

Information including special ticket arrangements for customers to complete journeys at other times, ticket acceptance with other rail operators and ticket refunds can be found on their website, arrivatrainswales.co.uk/industrialaction2015

HR Director for Arriva Trains Wales, Gareth Thomas explains: “We are obviously disappointed that the drivers’ union has not accepted our improved pay offers and that they have opted to take industrial action even though negotiations are ongoing and progress continues to be made.”

The pay offer includes:

• An above inflation three year pay deal with a 2.5 per cent increase in year one

• Reducing the maximum working day to 9 hours and 30 minutes from 10 hours, 30 minutes

• An agreement to conduct a feasibility study into improving rest break arrangements

• An agreement to improve the standby times (the hours before and after shift that drivers on spare duty need to be available on call) to cover a shift (such as sickness or operational disruption). Currently, if rostered on standby a driver can be called three hours before or four hours after his/her shift. This will be improved to three hours before and three hours after a shift.

• A further improvement to two hours/three hours will be agreed on the condition that every depot adopts a common standardised working pattern (over a four day week).