Northern has issued a warning to customers advising against travel in the face of travel disruption during the RMT strikes next week. The two 48-hour walk-outs, which will take place on 13-14 and 16-17 December, coupled with the knock-on impact on 15 December in-between the strikes, means an effective five-day travel ban for rail users.
During this period, all but a handful of services will be cancelled. The vast majority of the train operator’s 500+ stations will be closed. Tricia Williams, chief operating officer at Northern, said: “This is the last thing we want to do in the run-up to Christmas.
"But with the RMT pressing ahead with these 48-hour strikes, we have no option but to advise customers not to travel. We can only apologise once again for the disruption their action will cause.”
Routes that will have services running, hourly between 7.30am and 6.30pm, include:
- Leeds to Sheffield via Wakefield Westgate
- Leeds to York via Micklefield
- Leeds to Bradford Forster Square
- Leeds to Skipton
- Leeds to Ilkley
- Liverpool to Manchester Airport
Customers should check before they travel if planning to use one of these skeleton services. Northern is the second largest train operator in the UK, with nearly 2,000 services a day to more than 500 stations across the North of England.
On Sunday December 11, Northern’s new timetable comes into effect. All customers, especially those who have made regular journeys on the same train times, are advised to check online journey planners before they travel to ensure their service operates at the same time and calls at the same stations.
It is not only rail companies warning customers of potential disruption. Home Secretary Suella Braverman has urged people to rethink flying around Christmas as she warned of “undeniable, serious disruption” for thousands if strikes - extended from nurses, paramedics and rail workers to Border Force officials - go ahead.
Ms Braverman told broadcasters: “It’s very regrettable that they have made this decision to potentially strike over critical times in the run up and following Christmas and New Year. If they go ahead with those strikes there will be undeniable, serious disruption caused to many thousands of people who have holiday plans.
“I really want to urge people who have got plans to travel abroad to think carefully about their plans because they may well be impacted.” Downing Street sought to brace passengers for disruption and urged them to check with airlines for the latest information before travelling.
