Northern Rail alerts passengers to December service disruptions

Northern, a railway operator, has issued a warning to its customers regarding service disruptions expected across its network during December, following the collapse of negotiations aimed at resolving a pay dispute. The Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) union’s members declined an improved four-month pay proposal from Northern, which was intended for conductors who work on Sundays. Matt Rice, Northern’s head, stated that the company extends its apologies for the service interruptions that both this situation and scheduled engineering projects are anticipated to cause passengers leading up to the Christmas period. Mr. Rice expressed Northern’s disappointment regarding the rejection of the pay offer, but affirmed their commitment to collaborate with employees and the RMT union “to find a new way forward.” A spokesperson for the RMT union commented: “Our members have rejected the offer from the employer and we are now seeking further talks with the company to resolve this issue.” According to a Northern spokesperson, the proposed offer would have provided conductors with twice their current Sunday working remuneration. The company cautioned that the availability of conductors is projected to decline during the Christmas season, as fewer conductors are expected to volunteer for additional shifts or overtime. Mr. Rice acknowledged that the company’s service delivery in the North-West region has “not been good enough for some time” and recognized the consequences for passengers. He affirmed their ongoing efforts to collaborate with employees and the RMT to establish a path forward. Furthermore, Northern advised passengers about scheduled engineering works planned for Sundays in December across the North West, urging individuals to verify their travel plans beforehand. A revised Sunday timetable, featuring a reduced number of Sunday services in the North West, is scheduled to be implemented starting December 22. Northern indicated that, if service cancellations become necessary, rail replacement services would be provided wherever feasible.