Reactive statement to be used ahead of Sept 1 strike

Due to RMT’s strike action, we will be running a significantly reduced service on Saturday. Northern is asking customers to check before they travel and consider alternative travel options. We are sorry for any disruption caused.

We have urged the RMT to suspend its planned strikes on the next three Saturdays (25 August, 1 and 8 September). With further ACAS mediated talks agreed, ongoing strikes only disrupt customers, over a number of particularly busy weekends across the North of England, and cause financial loss for our conductors.

This weekend, there are a large number of important public events being planned right across our region, on what will be the last holiday weekend of the summer.

People going to these events rely heavily on our services. RMT’s strikes will cause unnecessary travel disruption and delays for what should be weekends of fun, enjoyment and celebrations.

We are delivering the biggest modernisation programme in a generation, including 98 new trains that are now under construction, the Pacer trains will be retired, all remaining trains will be refurbished to a high standard and we will provide an additional 2,000 services per week. We maintain that talking costs nothing, whilst strike action causes inconvenience to customers and damages the case for long-term investment in rail.