Arriva Rail North workers to strike but what Calderdale routes will be hit?
Arriva Rail North workers to strike in driver-only trains row after talks fail
A 24-hour strike on Arriva Rail North will go ahead on Friday after the failure of talks to resolve a dispute over the role of guards.
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Hide AdA total of 55 routes will be affected by the action. Calderdale routes where Northern will operate train or rail replacement buses include:
| Blackburn to Todmorden and Hebden Bridge
| Leeds to Hebden Bridge via Bradford Interchange
| Leeds to Rochdale via Brighouse
| Manchester Victoria to Rochdale and Todmorden
| York to Halifax via Bradford Interchange
Members of the Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) union will walk out for the third time in a row over staffing for new trains due to come into service in 2020.
The union said it was “angry and frustrated” that the company had rejected a proposal to invite Transport Department officials to join three-way talks in an attempt to reach a solution.
Workers from Northern will join RMT members from across the country at a protest in Westminster on Wednesday against driver-only operation to mark the first anniversary of the bitter dispute on Southern Rail.
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Hide AdRMT general secretary Mick Cash said: “The sheer intransigence of Arriva Rail North means that the action this Friday goes ahead as planned.
“The responsibility for the inevitable disruption lies wholly with the company.
“We are angry and frustrated that Arriva have thrown out a perfectly reasonable proposal to invite the DfT to join us in three-way talks aimed at finding a solution.
“The public, who support RMT’s campaign for a guarantee of a guard on their trains, will be appalled that Arriva Rail North have failed yet again to offer any kind of progress whatsoever in the talks and have instead opted to try and bulldoze through their plans regardless.
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Hide Ad“It is that flagrant disregard for the safety issues at the heart of the dispute which leaves us with no option but to press ahead with the campaign of strike action.”
Richard Allan, deputy managing director of Arriva Rail North, said: “It is disappointing that RMT was unwilling to move from its current position during our talks.
“Our employees want us to talk about changes we need to make to the on-board role as we modernise our railway. We believe we would keep a second person on many of our services and, at some locations, we may choose to staff the station to give better support to customers.
“In addition to protecting jobs and current pay, we are also willing to offer future, annual pay reviews for existing conductors if we can agree a deal with RMT.
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Hide Ad“It is hugely disappointing that RMT is making demands rather than working with us to develop our plans. There is so much to discuss and we urge them to get back round the table.”
The other routes where Northern will operate train or replacement bus services are:
Alnmouth to Newcastle
Appleby to Carlisle
Barnsley to Huddersfield
Barrow to Lancaster
Barrow to Workington
Blackburn and Bolton to Manchester Victoria
Blackpool North to Burnley Central
Blackpool North to Manchester Airport
Bradford Forster Square to Ilkley
Burnley Central to Colne
Carlisle to Newcastle Line
Chester to Altrincham
Cleethorpes to Barton-on-Humber
Clitheroe to Blackburn
Darlington to Middlesbrough
Leeds to Bradford Forster Square
Leeds to Carlisle
Leeds to Castleford
Leeds to Doncaster
Leeds to Huddersfield
Leeds to Ilkley
Leeds to Selby
Leeds to Sheffield
Leeds to Skipton
Leeds to York via Harrogate
Lincoln to Retford
Liverpool Lime Street to Manchester Oxford Road via Newton Le Willows
Liverpool Lime Street to Wigan North Western
Manchester Piccadilly to Alderley Edge
Manchester Airport to Manchester Piccadilly
Manchester Piccadilly to Buxton
Manchester Piccadilly to Hadfield
Manchester Piccadilly to Macclesfield
Manchester Piccadilly to New Mills Central
Manchester Victoria to Greenfield
Manchester Victoria to Wigan Wallgate
Middlesbrough to Whitby
Nunthorpe and Middlesbrough to Newcastle
Oxenholme to Windermere
Preston to Ormskirk
Scarborough to Hull
Settle to Lancaster
Sheffield to Hull
Sheffield to Nottingham
Sheffield to Retford Low Level
Skipton to Bradford Forster Square
Southport to Wigan Wallgate
Stockport to Altrincham
Warrington Central to Manchester Oxford Road
Workington to Carlisle