Rail passengers in region face delays as strike action announced

Rail passengers in the North West are facing a day of disruption and delays as union members stage strike action across the region.

The Rail, Maritime and Transport Union (RMT) union is holding 24 hours of industrial action on Northern trains.

The dispute is over the role of guards and the industrial action is planned for Wednesday, May 9th.

There are also strikes planned for the 11th, 14th, 16th and 18th of May on South Western Railway Services.

The Department for Transport described the industrial action as “pointless”.

The RMT has said changing the role of guards and extending driver-only services would compromise staff and passenger safety, which the government denies.

A protest on the issue was held in London to mark the second anniversary of the dispute which started on Southern Railway.

RMT General Secretary Mick Cash said: “It’s clear that the hidden hand of government is stopping the employers from making deals with us.

“Yet again the intransigence of private rail companies operating in England over the key issue of the guard guarantee means that we have no option but to announce further strike action in the separate disputes on Arriva Rail North, Greater Anglia and South Western Railway.

“It’s about time Chris Grayling stopped playing politics with passenger safety and started taking the issue seriously.”

Paul Plummer, chief executive of the Rail Delivery Group, said: “No one wins from RMT disputes that attempt to disrupt the lives of people trying to get to work, get their children to school or to run their local business.

“Train companies are working to find a way through these disputes so that we can get on with the business of delivering our long-term plan for the railway, playing our part to support Britain’s economy.”

Northern operates services across the North West from Manchester to Cumbria.