Harrogate rail passengers set to face more train strikes next week

Strikes by the RMT and ASLEF unions next week have forced train operator Northern to advise its customers across the North of England ‘Do Not Travel’ on Thursday 15 and Saturday 17 September.

It will not be able to operate any services on Thursday 15 and can only provide a skeleton timetable on Saturday 17.

There will be no services to and from Harrogate and Knaresborough stations on both days.

Services that CAN operate on Saturday 17 will run hourly between 7.30am and 6.30pm, and they include:

- Leeds to Sheffield via Wakefield Westgate (stopping service)

- Leeds to York via Micklefield (stopping service)

- Leeds to Bradford Forster Square

- Leeds to Skipton

- Leeds to Ilkley

- Liverpool to Alderley Edge via Chat Moss, Manchester Piccadilly and Manchester Airport

In addition to the ‘Do Not Travel’ notice on strike dates, Northern is also advising rail users that they should also expect significant disruption on the morning after strike days (Friday 16 and Sunday 18 September) as fleet displacement will mean services will not start until much later in the morning, after the usual rush-hour peak.

Tricia Williams, Chief Operating Officer at Northern, said: “This is the fourth ‘Do Not Travel’ notice we have been forced to issue this summer due to strike action by the trade unions.

“On previous strike dates, we’ve always done everything we can to offer a skeleton service - but due to a combination of factors this time around, we have no option but to suspend operations altogether on Thursday, September 15.

“Even with the skeleton timetable on Saturday 17, our advice remains ‘Do Not Travel’.

“We apologise in advance for the significant disruption and inconvenience this action by the RMT and ASLEF unions will cause to our customers.

“As we have previously pledged, we will continue to work towards a resolution to this issue with the hope of avoiding more disruptive strikes in the future.”

For more information about the strikes, Northern's customers should visit northernrailway.co.uk/strikes