Rail firms warn ‘don’t travel unless you need to’ as more strikes disrupt Northampton trains

Train operators are urging passengers in Northamptonshire to only attempt to travel if absolutely necessary as rail unions stage two more days of industrial action.

Northampton, Corby, Kettering and Wellingborough will all have strike-day timetables in operation with services running between 7.30am and 6.30pm only on Thursday (August 18) and Saturday (August 20).

Staff including signallers and managers who are members of the Rail, Maritime and Transport union will walk out from midnight on each day in an ongoing dispute over pay, safety and conditions.

Early-morning services on Friday (August 19) and Sunday (August 21) will also be disrupted as a knock-on effect.

Northampton Town fans planning to travel by train to the club’s League Two fixture at Crewe on Saturday are among those needing to make other plans.

London Northwestern Railway, which runs trains between the capital, Birmingham and the north west, via Northampton, says passengers need to check which trains are running — and make sure times for the last trains.

Jonny Wiseman customer experience director said: “We are disappointed that passenger journeys continue to be impacted this week as a result of this industrial action.

■ Click HERE for downloadable strike-day timetables for London Northwestern Railway trains at Northampton

“We urge passengers to only travel if absolutely necessary on Thursday and Saturday as timetables will be limited.

“There will also be an amended timetable on Friday August 19 and early services may be disrupted on Sunday August 21 as trains will be in the wrong place overnight.”

Two trains an hour will connect Northampton and the capital with the last train back leaving Euston at 5:04pm.

Passengers on East Midlands Railway will be harder hit than on previous strike days with no trains at all at Corby or Wellingborough.

Members of the Transport Salaried Staffs Assocation are also walking out on Thursday and Saturday

An EMR spokesman said: "Due to the greater impact of two unions striking at the same time, we are unable to operate the same timetable which as during the weekday strikes that have taken place previously.”