Strikes by RMT and ASLEF unions next week force train operator Northern to advise customers across the North of England ‘Do Not Travel’

Strikes by the RMT and ASLEF unions next week have forced the train operator Northern to advise its customers across the North of England ‘Do Not Travel’ on Thursday 15th and Saturday 17th September.

It will not be able to operate any services on Thursday 15th and can only provide a skeleton timetable on Saturday 17th.

Services than can operate on Saturday 17th will run hourly between 7.30am and 6.30pm, they are:

• Leeds to Sheffield via Wakefield Westgate (stopping service)
• Leeds to York via Micklefield (stopping service)
• Leeds to Bradford Forster Square
• Leeds to Skipton
• Leeds to Ilkley
• Liverpool to Alderley Edge via Chat Moss, Manchester Piccadilly and Manchester Airport

In addition to the ‘Do Not Travel’ notice on strike dates, Northern is advising rail users they should also expect significant disruption on the morning after strike days (Friday 16th and Sunday 18th September) as fleet displacement will mean services will not start until much later in the morning, after the usual rush-hour peak.

For more information, Northern's customers should visit: northernrailway.co.uk/strikes

Tricia Williams, chief operating officer at Northern, said: “This is the fourth ‘Do Not Travel’ notice we have been forced to issue this summer due to strike action by the trade unions.

“On previous strike dates, we’ve always done everything we can to offer a skeleton service - but due to a combination of factors this time around, we have no option but to suspend operations altogether on Thursday 15th September.

“Even with the skeleton timetable on Saturday 17th, our advice remains ‘Do Not Travel’.

“We apologise in advance for the significant disruption and inconvenience this action by the RMT and ASLEF unions will cause to our customers.

“As we have previously pledged, we will continue to work towards a resolution to this issue with the hope of avoiding more disruptive strikes in the future.”

Northern is the second largest train operator in the UK. Ordinarily, they would operate nearly 2,000 services a day to more than 500 stations across the North of England.