The country's railway network will be hit with disruption on Saturday (October 8) as workers go out on strike.
PA reports that only about 20% of normal train services across the country will run on Saturday, according to Network Rail. Around half of the network will be closed all day and trains will only operate between 7.30am and 6.30pm.
More than 40,000 members of the Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) union at Network Rail and 15 train operating companies will walk out on Saturday in a row over jobs, pay and conditions. Services will start later than normal on Sunday morning as workers return to duties.
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Tim Shoveller, Network Rail’s chief negotiator, said: “Despite our best efforts to compromise and find a breakthrough in talks, rail unions remain intent on continuing and co-ordinating their strike action. “This means railway staff forgo even more of their pay unnecessarily, passengers’ lives are disrupted once again and the railway’s recovery from the pandemic is further damaged.
“We’re asking passengers who want to travel this Saturday to only do so if absolutely necessary. Those who must travel should expect disruption and make sure they check when their last train will depart.”
Strike action took place on October 5 and will happen again on October 8. Below, we have looked at how this will affect services in the Liverpool City Region.
Merseyrail
Merseyrail will run a limited timetable on Saturday. Though Merseyrail employees are not involved in industrial action, Network Rail's arrangements with contingency staff restrict the operator's ability to run a full service.
Merseyrail will run an hourly service on most lines between 7.30am and 6.30pm to help passengers make essential journeys. Here is a summary of the operator's service on Saturday:
- Chester and Ellesmere Port lines: No trains will operate between Chester and Rock Ferry or Ellesmere Port and Rock Ferry. Trains will run hourly between Rock Ferry and Liverpool Central, calling at all stations.
- New Brighton line: Trains will run hourly, calling at all stations.
- West Kirby line: Trains will run hourly, calling at all stations.
- Southport line: Trains will run hourly, calling at all stations.
- Hunts Cross line: No trains will operate between L iverpool Central and Hunts Cross.
- Ormskirk line: Trains will run hourly, calling at all stations.
- Kirkby line: Trains will run hourly, calling at all stations.
There will be no trains on the Merseyrail network before approximately 7.30am or after 6.30pm on Saturday. There are no rail-replacement buses on the strike day. Passengers should make alternative travel arrangements where necessary.
Northern
Passengers on Northern Rail have been advised not to travel on Saturday, October 8. A statement on the operator's website reads: "As a result of RMT strike action. on Saturday 8 October, there will be a very limited service with many routes not running, therefore we are asking you not to travel.
"Services are also expected to be affected on Sunday 9 October, especially in the morning, so you should check before you travel."
Liverpool - Earlestown - Manchester - Manchester Airport is one of the few Northern routes running on October 8, with one train an hour in each direction from 7.30am to 5.27pm.
Avanti West Coast
A statement on the Avanti West Coast website reads: "Customers should expect our existing timetable to be reduced significantly and those services that do run are expected to be very busy. We strongly advise you to only travel by rail if absolutely necessary on 8 October.
"If your journey is essential, please plan ahead as your entire journey will likely be severely disrupted. The days after industrial action will also be affected."
At the time of writing, approximately one train per hour will run from Liverpool Lime Street to London Euston between 8.45am and 3.56pm on Saturday, with journeys taking between 2 hours 30 minutes and 3 hours.
London Northwestern
London Northwestern will operate a limited service on October 8, with no trains running directly between Liverpool Lime Street and Birmingham New Street.
Transport for Wales
Transport for Wales staff are not involved in any strike, but the operator says that it means it will not be able to operate services on Network Rail infrastructure. As a result, the operator will not run trains between Liverpool Lime Street and Crewe or between Liverpool Lime Street and Chester.
East Midlands Railway
EMR, which operates the Norwich to Liverpool route, has asked people only to travel on October 8 if it is strictly necessary. On its website, the operator states: "EMR services will operate between 0730 and 1830 only. Trains will all terminate by 1830 and no further services will run. Please ensure you check the time of your last return train before you travel."
It means that no direct trains will run between Norwich and Liverpool on Saturday.
TransPennine Express
A message on the operator's website reads: "While a very limited service will be running on some lines, we are advising customers to only travel during the strike action if journeys are essential. We also expect travel to be disrupted the day after a planned strike so check before you travel."
On October 8, TransPennine will operate services between:
- Manchester Victoria and Liverpool Lime Street - two services in each direction
- York and Manchester Piccadilly (calling at all local stations between Leeds and Stalybridge) - 6 services in each direction
- York and Manchester Piccadilly (calling at Leeds, Dewsbury, Huddersfield and Stalybridge) - 3 services westbound and 4 services eastbound
- Preston and Manchester Airport - 5 services in each direction
- Cleethorpes and Sheffield - 5 services in each direction
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