Passengers are set to face more train chaos over the weekend as rail staff are set to strike for 48 hours. TransPennine Express services will be cut on Saturday and Sunday (June 4 and 5) on major lines.
It comes after the rail provider announced strikes would be taking place every Sunday for the foreseeable future earlier this week, with the few services still running set to be 'extremely busy'. They are now urging people against travelling this weekend except for 'essential' journeys.
TPE conductors on major railway lines, including services from Manchester Piccadilly, will take 48 hours of strike action from Saturday in row over pay and Sunday working. Conductors have been requesting increased pay for staff coming in on their days off and Sundays.
READ MORE Metrolink to AXE one-day travel cards from its app as part of 'fare evasion' crackdown
This week it emerged that TPE bosses offered drivers an increase of 15 per cent for working on their days off. The RMT union has said if the same offer was made to conductors, this latest strike action would be suspended.
People heading to events including Jubilee celebrations over the weekend have also been told seek alternative transport by the rail provider. Kathryn O’Brien, customer experience director for TransPennine Express said: “We are saddened that ongoing RMT strikes will mean we are unable to provide a full service for customers over such a special weekend, when celebrations will be taking place across the UK.
“With strike action planned for both Saturday and Sunday, coupled with major engineering work, our advice for customers is not to travel by train, and anyone heading to an event should seek alternative transport.
“Major engineering work by Network Rail will also mean changes for customers travelling across our North route, and we are calling on them to plan ahead and check their journeys.”
Passengers hoping to use services from Manchester Piccadilly station were hit with cancellations and amended times. The provider announced that there would be none of their trains in operation on the West Coast Mainline throughout the weekend, meaning anyone wanting to make an essential journey between Liverpool or Manchester and Glasgow or Edinburgh via Preston and Carlisle, had to find alternative transport.
Other services that were hit included those on the north and south routes, which have trains going through Manchester to destinations including Leeds, York and Newcastle.
Those planning on using TransPennine services were urged to check for updates up to the last minute, as short notice changes were likely. They were also told to allow extra time for journeys as the services we are able to operate were 'far busier than normal', as well as checking the amended timetables online and where else tickets can be used instead.
