Two train strikes could affect Tour de Yorkshire
RMT members at Virgin Trains East Coast and Northern are staging walk-outs
Workers on Arriva Rail North are to stage a fresh 24-hour strike in a row about driver-only trains, on the day the Tour de Yorkshire kicks of in Bridlington.
Members of the Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) union will walk out on Friday 28th April after talks failed to break the deadlocked dispute.
RMT general secretary Mick Cash said: "The public, who support RMT's campaign for a guarantee of a guard on their trains, will be appalled that Arriva Rail North have failed to offer any kind of progress whatsoever in the talks and have instead opted to try and bulldoze through their plans regardless.
"It is that flagrant disregard for the safety issues at the heart of the dispute which leaves us with no option but to put on this further day of strike action.
"RMT commends our Arriva Rail North members on their rock-solid display of strength, resolve and unity during the action so far in opposition to the introduction of driver-controlled operation and defence of the guards to guarantee a safer, securer and more accessible railway for all.
"The union continues to remain available for meaningful discussions with the company in order to seek a satisfactory resolution to the ongoing dispute.''
Meanwhile, Virgin Trains East Coast said it will run a near-normal timetable during the industrial action.
RMT members are walking out for 48 hours on the 28th and 29th April.
The company said it has made changes to customer-facing roles on board train which will see a single person take responsibility for the "customer experience''.
"This will mean a better experience for customers. It also has zero impact on safety. We have repeatedly assured the RMT that the safety-critical role of the guard will remain on board, with the new train manager role taking responsibility,'' said a statement.
David Horne, managing director for Virgin Trains on the East Coast, said: "We have worked hard to ensure there are comprehensive contingency plans in place and I want to reassure our customers that our timetable will be almost completely unaffected during this walk-out, as well as during any subsequent strikes by the RMT.
"Passengers can book and plan their journeys as normal and with confidence.
"The changes we have made are part of the customer-centric revolution that's under way on the East Coast. We've already completely refreshed our entire fleet of trains with all new interiors, and next year we will have our ground-breaking Azuma trains coming into service.
"Alongside more modern trains, we want a modern customer service proposition - one that focuses firmly on the customer.
"The on-board changes came into force in March. Last week - the first full week since the changes - saw us achieve our second highest customer satisfaction score since taking over the franchise, so we are confident the changes are benefiting customers.
"With our guarantees that there will be no compulsory redundancies, no impact on safety and a near-normal timetable in place during the walk-outs, this pointless strike will cost RMT members pay for no reason, and we urge the union to rejoin us for further discussions.''