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National
Simon Meechan

Rail strike to decimate trains to and from Newcastle for Brentford match and Junior/Mini Great North Run

Plan ahead if you are planning to travel on Saturday as rail strikes are set to cancel and cut services on trains and Metros.

National Rail's advice is to "only travel by train if your journey is absolutely necessary" on Saturday October 8. The RMT union is planning to strike, affecting staff who work for rail operators that run trains through the North East, as well as Network Rail, whose staff manage the railways, including sections of track used by the Tyne Wear Metro.

Thousands will be heading to Newcastle on Saturday to attend events in the city. Newcastle United play Brentford at St James' Park and the Junior and Mini Great North Runs are due to be held on the Quayside.

Read more: Northern Rail issues do not travel advice on day of Newcastle Brentford match

Northern Rail - which operates trains on local lines in Northumberland and County Durham from stations like Morpeth, Hexham and Seaham - has cancelled all its trains in the North East on Saturday October 8. So if you usually take a Northern train to Newcastle to attend the match, you will need to find alternative travel.

Some Northern trains will operate on other parts of its network in the Yorkshire and Lancashire areas.

Northern says: "On strike days you should follow our advice and avoid travel. If you do travel on the limited routes running, you should expect severe disruption and plan ahead - especially the first and last trains of the day."

Tyne Wear Metro staff are not striking, but as the network shares tracks with Network Rail, stations between Pelaw and South Hylton - including all Sunderland stations - will be closed. Engineering works mean the line is also shut between Pelaw and South Shields. Passengers will not be able to take Northern trains between Newcastle and Sunderland either as they are all cancelled.

There are no replacement buses for the Pelaw to South Hylton Metro stations, but there are for Metro stations between South Shields and Pelaw which drop and pick up passengers at Heworth, where Metros will terminate. The rest of the Metro network is not affected by the engineering works or strike.

Lumo staff are not striking either, but none of its trains will run on Saturday October 8 due to engineering works.

LNER - which operates intercity trains between Edinburgh and London via stations including Berwick, Alnmouth, Newcastle, Durham and Darlington on the East Coast Mainline - says a limited service will run between London Kings Cross and Newcastle. It is cancelling all trains to and from stations north of Newcastle.

LNER says: "There will be no LNER service to / from stations north of Newcastle, and LNER are advising customers not to travel to / from stations north of Newcastle."

There will be no Grand Central trains to or from Sunderland on Saturday October 8. Transpennine trains in the North East are all cancelled as the Birmingham to Edinburgh route is not operating on Saturday. There is a limited service between Birmingham and York.

CrossCountry will run a very limited service from Newcastle. Most trains are cancelled.

Buses are not affected by the strike but plan ahead as they are likely to be busy.

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