Highly-paid rail drivers 'don't work Sundays'

Thameslink says although drivers they do have are rostered to work, their contract allows them to give notice they are not available.

And with drivers earning £935 to work just four days a week – nearly twice the national average wage – many chose not to.

One driver recently tweeted: “We get £48k a year – we don’t need to work overtime or Sundays.”

The drivers will also get a 4.8 per cent rise on April 4 on their £48,664 annual pay - an extra £2,335 a year.

Thameslink refused to reveal how many Sunday trains have been cancelled this year on the Bedford-Brighton route due to a lack of crew but “apologise sincerely”.

A spokesman said: “We are recruiting and training new drivers as quickly as possible and expect to reach a more robust position this summer.”