Travel chaos expected due to railway strike

STRIKE . . . Rail passengers using Greenfield station could be affected

A RAIL strike will affect trains going through Greenfield.

Rail operator Northern has issued the first of its train timetables for customers travelling during the RMT strike action on Friday and Monday.

There will be no trains operating between Stalybridge and Huddersfield, the line that passes through Greenfield, with a replacement bus services available.

Northern expects to run more than 900 services on both strike days between 7am and 7pm, with final services on some routes finishing before 7pm.

Trains that are running are expected to be extremely busy, journeys may take longer than normal and connections to other services may not be available.

Northern is advising customers to consider whether their journey is necessary and to recheck services before travelling.

Strike action is also taking place on Merseyrail at the same time.

The rail union has called the strike as part of its ongoing dispute over plans for driver-only trains.

Sharon Keith, regional director of Northern, said: "Our priority is to keep customers informed and updated on both days of strike action as we try to keep the region moving.

"We are operating a limited service across our network on both days, with trains finishing earlier in some places.

"We have focussed on ensuring our busier routes between major towns and cities maintain a good level of service throughout the day, while replacement bus services will be available on some routes where there are no trains.

"Customers should plan ahead carefully and consider whether their journey needs to be made as all trains will be far busier than normal."

She added: "It's disappointing that RMT has timed these two days of strike action to coincide with people returning to school, college and work after the summer holidays. The action aims to cause disruption to people's lives, businesses and the economy.

"During recent talks we underlined that we are prepared to guarantee jobs and current pay for all our conductors for the next eight years.

"Our offers to discuss every detail on the future responsibilities and training for on-board colleagues have been rejected by RMT.

"We urge them to get back round the table with us quickly and talk seriously about our modernisation, not take unnecessary strike action."

Customers who travel on a strike day and experience a journey delay of 30 minutes or more can claim compensation through Northern's Delay Repay scheme.

Customers with season tickets that don't include buses, trams or ferries, who decide not to travel due to strike action, can also claim compensation.

All compensation claims can be made at Northern's website or ask for a form at any staffed station.

Revised timetables can be found at northernrailway.co.uk/industrialaction. Further timetables, including Northern services around Manchester, on the west coast and replacement buses, are yet to be released.