CHESHIRE residents have been warned not to travel by train on three days in October due to upcoming rail strikes.

Train operator Northern and Network Rail have advised customers strikes are due to take place on October 1 and 5, with further industrial action from the RMT planned on October 8.

This means there will be no Northern services operating on the first two days, with just a skeleton timetable in operation on the third.

Given the impact strikes have on fleet displacement, Northern is also advising customers to ‘check before you travel’ on Sunday, October 2, and Sunday, October 9, when services cannot start until later in the morning. 

Northwich Guardian: National rail hubs will be closed: Northern National rail hubs will be closed: Northern (Image: Northern)

Tricia Williams, chief operating officer at Northern, said: “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.” 

Strike action by Network Rail staff on Saturday, October 1 will see major rail hubs Manchester Piccadilly, Liverpool Lime Street, Birmingham New Street and London Euston closed completely.

Tim Shoveller, Network Rail’s North West and Central region managing director, said: “Despite our best efforts to compromise and find a breakthrough in talks, rail unions remain intent on continuing and coordinating their strike action.

“This serves only to ensure our staff forgo even more of their pay unnecessarily, as well as causing even more disruption for our passengers and further damaging the railway’s recovery from the pandemic.

“Passengers who want to travel this Saturday, and indeed next Wednesday and next Saturday, are asked only to do so if absolutely necessary. Those who must travel should expect disruption and make sure they check when their last train will depart.”

Northern is the second largest train operator in the UK. Ordinarily, they would operate nearly 2,000 services a day to more than 500 stations across the north of England.