Northern Rail strikes 2018 – what are the dates for October and which train routes are affected?
Northern Rail commuters are facing more disruption across the North West, North East and Yorkshire during the latest walkouts
RAILWAY workers on the Northern Rail franchise are staging strike action in the ongoing row over driver-only operated trains.
As Northern insists it is trying to "modernise" its services, union members have planned to extend walk-outs. Here's what we know...
When are the Northern Rail October 2018 strike dates?
Northern Rail has confirmed RMT trade union members will also strike on October 6, 13 and 20.
On the other days, Northern hopes to operate about 30 per cent of its usual services.
Talks between the RMT and Northern ended without agreement on Wednesday.
Union general secretary Mick Cash said the Northern dispute would have been "entirely preventable" if the company had listened to the union's deep-seated safety concerns.
The operator has listed on its website.
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Very few of its trains will run before 9am and after 6pm, a spokesperson warned.
Northern advises that Sunday will also see planned cancellations on a small minority of routes, primarily in the north west, and customers should check up to the last minute before travelling.
Travel delays latest
What have Northern Rail and RMT said about the strike?
Northern issued a response to RMT's announcement of three further days of strike action on consecutive Saturdays on 6, 13 and 20 October.
Richard Allan, Deputy Managing Director, Northern, said: “Northern invited RMT to ACAS talks and agreed to discuss the three options RMT had suggested beforehand on the role of the on-board member of staff. Northern was prepared to talk about the RMT's options.
"However, RMT unilaterally changed the basis of what they were prepared to talk about.
"This is despite the fact that they have reached agreements on similar terms elsewhere in the industry.
"RMT then called yet more strike action which will only cause further unnecessary difficulty for customers.
"Northern remains ready to talk about the options and calls on RMT to cancel strike action and return to the talks.
"Northern is getting on with the important job of modernising local rail for customers with new trains, better stations and more services.
"It remains willing to involve RMT in that positive future for colleagues and customers. But progress can only be achieved through talking."
Walkouts have also occurred on other operators such as Southern, Merseyrail, Greater Anglia and South Western Railway over the year.
Rail union RMT has accused Northern of "refusing point blank to engage in serious and meaningful talks".
But the union claimed driver-only operation was being extended "in the name of increased profits".
In a statement, Northern said: "We maintain that talking costs nothing, whilst strike action causes inconvenience to customers and damages the case for long-term investment in rail."
In previous strikes, Northern said almost 1,400 trains would run on each day of industrial action — around half the usual number.
Mick Cash, RMT general secretary, said: "Members have been in dispute for well over a year now in a battle to put public safety before private profit and we are angry and frustrated that a genuine opportunity to reach an agreement has been kicked back by the company.
"Northern Rail want to run nearly half a million trains a year without a safety critical guard on board in a move that would wreck both safety and access to services."
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