The RMT union confirmed on Monday that last-ditch talks to prevent rail strikes this week had failed - and that industrial action starting on June 21 would go ahead.
The North East - like the rest of the country - will see rail services heavily-disrupted as a result. All of the rail operators running in our region are affected, while with Network Rail staff also involved in the action, a stretch of the Tyne and Wear Metro will also be closed.
Each operator has however put on a limited service, but passengers should be aware that far fewer trains are running and they will cease to do so far earlier in the day than usual. This comes as members of the union fight for fair pay while opposing what union bosses called an "agenda of job cuts [and] changes to working practices".
Read more: UK rail strikes - live updates
The UK could see a series of rail strikes over the next couple of months if a deal is not reached, the general secretary of the RMT union has said. Mick Lynch said: “Our campaign will run as long as it needs to run until we get a settlement acceptable to our people. Whenever we get an offer that is tenable we will put that to our members in a referendum."
Asked if the strikes could last for months if a deal is not reached Mr Lynch replied: " I think it will, yes." Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said: "We are ready to speak, we want to see this settled, pay offers have been put down, the modernisation is required in return, it takes two to tango."
This is the latest guidance rail operators have released about which services are running and when:
LNER
LNER will be operating at around 38% capacity, bosses said. Heading north, the first train from Newcastle to Edinburgh will leave at 7.42am, with a total of 14 trains heading up the East Coast Main Line - though the last will terminate in Berwick. The last train to get you to Edinburgh from Newcastle will depart at 3.44pm - getting passengers to Edinburgh Waverley by 5.11pm. Only around half of trains from Newcastle will stop at places such as Alnmouth.
Southbound, the picture is is similar. The first Newcastle to London train will leave at 8.27am, arriving in King's Cross by 11.48. Though all trains heading in that direction stop in Darlington, just half will stop at Durham so checking carefully is vital. The last service heading south all the way to London will leave Newcastle at 2.30pm, though trains leaving until 4.57pm will go past York and Doncaster.
CrossCountry
The CrossCountry train from Leeds to Newcastle via York, Darlington and Durham will leave Leeds at 9.08am, getting in to Newcastle at 10.35am. However, only four CrossCountry services will travel past York all day. These will all continue on to Edinburgh. There are also only two services - at 11.03am and 1.03pm - leaving Birmingham New Street which will come to Newcastle.
Going south is again similar. Just five trains will leave Newcastle. The first at 8.40am will go all the way to Birmingham, but trains leaving at 2.40 and 4.35 will terminate at Derby and Leeds respectively.
CrossCountry has suspended Advance tickets for the three strike dates, so customers are urged to continue to check their website and other train operator websites for updates. Customers with Anytime, Off-Peak or Advance tickets dated June 21, June 23, or June 25 are permitted to travel the day before and up to two days after the date on their ticket.
If you have a ticket to travel on June 21, June 23, or June 25 this will now also be valid for travel up to and including June 20. You are required to travel at a similar time to your original ticket, following any time restrictions associated with it.
Northern Rail
Very few Northern Rail services in our region at all will run. The only Northern Rail route currently set to operate is the one between Saltburn, Middlesbrough and Darlington. Otherwise, routes from Newcastle to Carlisle and into the MetroCentre from around the region will not run. Tickets will be accepted on other operators where possible, but no bus replacement service will run.
A spokesperson said: "Unfortunately, as we will not be able to position our fleet how we normally would, the significant impact of the strike will also be felt on non-strike days. Therefore, we regrettably advise customers not to travel on any day from Tuesday 21st through to Sunday 26th June.’
"Where we are able to operate trains, services will be very limited, and trains will not start as early as normal and will finish much earlier than normal."
TransPennine Express
TPE will operate a small number of services on just four routes ( Newcastle – Edinburgh, Sheffield – Cleethorpes, Manchester Airport – Preston and Manchester Piccadilly – York), with the vast majority of its managed stations closed with no rail or replacement service available for customers.
Two services will run each way between Newcastle and Edinburgh - the first northbound train leaves Newcastle at 9.19am, the second at 1.17pm.
Tyne and Wear Metro
Tyne and Wear Metro trains will not operate on a stretch of its track on the same days that railway workers are due to strike across the country. While Tyne and Wear Metro staff are not joining the RMT's strike, the Metro shares track with the National Rail network between Pelaw and South Hylton.
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