A train company that operates in the North East has issued a "do not travel" warning to rail passengers for the majority of next week as Network Rail workers are set to walk out as part of ongoing industrial action.
Northern has advised customers not to travel between Tuesday 13 and Saturday 17 December, warning of "major disruption across the whole rail network". The train company added that anyone planning a journey on the strike days should only travel by rail "if necessary" and has urged them to check whether their journey has been impacted by the action.
Northern has told anyone who must travel from Tuesday to Saturday next week to "expect severe disruption and plan ahead - especially the first and last trains of the day". They also warned that there will be "very limited" services running across the rail network on these dates, and that some Northern stations may be closed or have reduced hours due to limited staffing on strike days.
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Northern have withdrawn advance tickets from sale for the strike dates, but if you have a ticket to travel on one of the affected days next week you can request a fee-free change of journey if your train is cancelled or delayed. Your ticket will also be valid for travel up to and including Tuesday 20 December.
If you have a daily ticket such as Anytime or Off-Peak, you can claim a full refund with no admin fee, or if you have a Season ticket you can get a refund on the portion of the ticket not used. The Delay Repay scheme also means you will be entitled to compensation if your train runs 15 minutes late or more.
The RMT rejected a new pay offer on Sunday night which could have seen strike action averted, and demanded fresh talks to reopen negotiations around pay, working conditions and job security. RMT boss Mick Lynch said: "We remain available for talks in order to resolve these issues but we will not bow to pressure from the employers and the government to the detriment of our members."
The 14 train companies set to be affected by the strikes include four in Newcastle and around the North East: Northern, CrossCountry, LNER, and Transpennine. Elsewhere in the country, it will affect Chiltern, East Midlands, C2C, Great Western, South Eastern, South Western, Avanti West Coast, Westmidlands and GTR.
RMT members who work for Network Rail are due to take part in an additional strike over the Christmas period from 6pm on 24 December until 6am on 27 December. They have also confirmed strikes in the New Year, taking place on Tuesday 3 January, Wednesday 4 January, Friday 6 January and Saturday 7 January.
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