ASLEF & RMT strikes on Friday & Saturday will bring train services across the region to a halt says Northern

Northern has advised its customers across the North of England that services will be brought to a halt on Friday 1 and Saturday 2 September as the latest ASLEF and RMT strikes take place.

The train operator has published a travel advice calendar for Friday 1 – Monday 4 September to highlight when services will be affected.

There will be no Northern services at all on Friday 1 September when ASLEF members – most of whom are employed as train drivers – stage their latest walk out.

Mick Whelan, ASLEF’s general secretary, said the train companies and government have “forced” members into strike action because “they refuse to sit down and talk to us and have not made a fair and sensible pay offer to train drivers who have not had one for four years – since 2019 – while prices have soared in that time by more than 12%.”

He continued: “Train drivers at these companies have not had a pay rise for four years – since 2019 – while inflation has rocketed.

“We haven’t heard a word from the employers – we haven’t had a meeting, a phone call, a text message, or an email – since Wednesday 26 April, and we haven’t had any contact with the government since Friday 6 January.

“This shows how the contempt in which the companies, and the government, hold passengers and staff and public transport in Britain.

“They are happy to let this drift on and on. But we are determined to get a fair pay rise for men and women who haven’t had one for four years while inflation has reached double figures. Our members, perfectly reasonably, want to be able to buy now what they could buy back in 2019.”

Very limited services will operate on Saturday 2 September when RMT members – who work in a number of roles including train conductors – go out on strike.

Early morning services on Sunday 3 September will also be disrupted due to the impact the previous day’s RMT strike will have on fleet displacement.

RMT general secretary Mick Lynch said: "The mood among our members remains solid and determined in our national dispute over pay, job security and working conditions. 

“We have had to call further strike action as we have received no improved or revised offer from the Rail Delivery Group.

“The reason for this is the government has not allowed them a fresh mandate on which discussions could be held.

“Our members and our union will continue fighting until we can reach a negotiated and just settlement."

Tricia Williams, chief operating officer at Northern, said: “We can only apologise again for the disruption this strike action by ASLEF and the RMT will cause to our customers.”

A Rail Delivery Group spokesperson said: “The industry will be working hard to keep as many services running as possible. There is no question the strikes called by the RMT and ASLEF leaderships are deliberately designed to target passengers who want to enjoy various sporting events and festivals during the bank holiday and at the end of the summer holidays, disrupting their plans, hurting local economies and forcing more cars onto the road.

“This, despite the RMT having repeatedly refused their memberships a vote on offers of up to 13% for the lowest paid over two years, which could easily settle this dispute. 

“There will unfortunately be some reduced services on Saturday 26 August, Friday 1 and Saturday 2 September. As the level of service varies across the country, our advice is to check before you travel and follow the latest travel information. Passengers with Advance tickets can be refunded fee-free if the train that the ticket is booked for is cancelled, delayed, or rescheduled.”    

Ticketing and refund information    

Customers with Advance, Anytime or Off-Peak tickets for travel on a strike day can instead use their ticket on an alternative date:  

• Tickets for Friday 1 and Saturday 2 September can be used on the day before the date on the ticket or up to and including Tuesday 5 September

Passengers with Advance tickets can be refunded fee-free if the train that the ticket is booked for is cancelled, delayed or rescheduled.    

If the Advance ticket is for a train scheduled for a strike day, but it is not cancelled, delayed or rescheduled, and a customer prefers not to travel, they should contact their ticket retailer.    

Customers with 2 x Advance tickets (an outbound and a return), to be used as a return journey, may be able to get a fee-free refund or change of journey for any unused legs/tickets, if either of the legs is scheduled for a strike day. Customers should check with their ticket retailer.    

Season Ticket holders (flexi, monthly or longer) who cannot travel, can claim 100% compensation through Delay Repay for the strike dates of Saturday 26 August. Friday 1 and Saturday 2 September.  

Weekly season ticket holders can claim Delay Repay if their train is delayed or cancelled on the day. 

For more information about the strike and the skeleton service in place on Saturday 2 September, customers should visit: www.northernrailway.co.uk/travel/strikes.