Northern Rail runs 40% of service on day of strike action

Train company Northern Rail says it has been able to run less than half of its normal service after workers took part in a 24-hour walkout.
A Northern Rail train.A Northern Rail train.
A Northern Rail train.

Northern said its plan to run 980 services, or around 40 per cent of its normal timetable, during today’s industrial action is "working well".

Members of the RMT union are staging the action over staffing and the issue of driver-only trains.

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Northern Rail runs trains on the Nunthorpe and Middlesbrough to Newcastle line, which stop at Hartlepool and Sunderland stations.

Paul Barnfield, regional director at Northern, said: “By 12.30pm, 448 trains had arrived at their destinations, helping customers get to work in major towns and cities across the North.

"Our plan is working well and we have even been able to run a few more morning rush hour trains than originally planned.

“We are now concentrating efforts on getting people home this evening.

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"We urge everyone wanting to travel home today to think now about their return journey.

"Services on many routes will start to wind down from mid-afternoon onwards, with very few trains running after 5pm this evening.

“On behalf of Northern I would like to thank our customers for working with us today and altering their travel plans.

"I would also like to thank all of our people who have worked so hard to run our trains today.

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“Keep an eye out on Northern’s social media feeds for any updates on our train services.”

Details of what services are running can be seen at www.northernrailway.co.uk/industrialaction.

Real time journey updates are available at www.journeycheck.com/northern/, or on Twitter @northernassist.