Northern has announced details of its planned services that it will operate for the RMT strike action on Saturday, 1 December and the following four Saturdays.
The RMT strike action, planned for 1, 8, 15, 22 and 29 December, will see Northern running approximately 700 services during each Saturday but with very few Northern services running after 5 pm.
Those Northern services that do run, and other operators’ services, are expected to be extremely busy as the build-up to Christmas continues.
Northern has called for RMT to suspend its damaging December strike action and return to talks at ACAS.
Northern say that the RMT has made agreements with other train operators that it refuses to discuss with Northern.
Below are some of the upcoming big events, and the last trains home from them:
Manchester Christmas Markets services
- BOLTON – No trains due to engineering work – rail replacement buses in operation
- KIRKBY – No trains
- LIVERPOOL – No Northern trains to Manchester – customers should seek alternative means of transport
- WIGAN WALLGATE – No trains due to engineering work. There is an hourly express service between Wigan North Western and Manchester Victoria – last train to Wigan is at 5.50pm from Victoria
- WARRINGTON CENTRAL – No Northern trains to Manchester – customers should seek alternative means of transport
- ALDERLEY EDGE – One train every two hours – last train to Alderley Edge is at 4.39pm from Piccadilly
- MACCLESFIELD – One train every two hours – last train to Macclesfield is at 4.47pm
- BUXTON – One train per hour between Buxton and Manchester – last train to Buxton is at 5.24pm from Piccadilly
- ROSE HILL MARPLE – No trains
- ROCHDALE – One train per hour between Rochdale and Manchester – last train to Rochdale is at 5.17pm from Victoria
- HADFIELD/GLOSSOP – One train per hour in each direction – the last train to Hadfield/Glossop is at 5.29pm from Piccadilly
Football
- Huddersfield Town v Brighton & Hove Albion – No Northern trains to and from Huddersfield, customers should seek alternative means of transport
- Sheffield Utd v Leeds Utd – No Northern trains between Sheffield and Leeds, customers should seek alternative means of transport
- Blackburn Rovers v Sheffield Wednesday – No Northern trains between Sheffield and Leeds or Leeds and Blackburn, customers should seek alternative methods of travel
- Bolton Wanderers v Wigan Athletic – No Northern trains due to Network Rail engineering work – rail replacement buses are available
Other
- First Direct Arena (Leeds) – Mumford and Sons
- Manchester Arena – Star Wars: A New Hope in Concert
- Metro Radio Arena (Newcastle) – Jeff Wayne’s War of the Worlds
- Echo Arena (Liverpool) – Magic of Motown
There are no Northern services after any of these events – customers should seek alternative means of transport.
What did the officials say?
David Brown, Managing Director at Northern, said:
“By the end of December, we will have had 19 consecutive Saturdays of RMT strike action. This targeted action disrupts our customers’ lives. But, as we enter a vital period for businesses, it also damages the economic wellbeing of the north of England.
“This Saturday, we are introducing a new timetable for RMT strike days that will deliver stable and consistent train services for our customers on each strike Saturday in December.
“We have fantastic colleagues who have supported customers by keeping our trains running on each of the RMT strike days. We are aiming to keep as many people moving as possible and ensuring customers can still travel into the biggest towns and cities for the big seasonal events including Christmas markets – but with very few services running after 5pm.
“We expect all of our services, and those of other operators, to be extremely busy and are calling on our customers to plan their travel carefully for the coming weekend, check the new timetables well in advance, and make sure they do not rely on the last trains home.”
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Responses
Will Northern carry on with the strikes next year. I think they will. All they been doing this year so far despite refurbishing their trains. Aswell ordering the new CAF Class 195 and Class 331 Civity stocks which are scheduled to enter service in December.
That they have been going on strike and causing so many disruptions, cancellations and endless misery to rail commuters across the North of England since it first started. Including places affected by the strikes such as Manchester, Liverpool, Leeds, York, Newcastle and so on. Why did Arriva took over the Northern franchise first place and to allow the strikes to happen.
Or is it RMT’s fault for allowing guards, station staff and train drivers on Northern to strike. It’s just disgusting and disgraceful. And nothing hasn’t been done to make sure that trains are running on time except being delayed and cancelled most of the time.
Get Arriva Group to sort it out. Or should the government take over the franchise after Christmas and to stop the strikes from happening. Same sort of scenario with other rail operators including South Western Railway.
Except I do understand that Northern and Network Rail are working hard to electrify the Bolton Line which is due to be completed by Spring next year.