Talks continue to try and resolve train conductor strikes
RMT members at TransPennine Express are walking out for the 13th time in a row over pay
Talks are continuing to try and resolve the train conductor strikes affecting North Yorkshire every Sunday.
RMT members who work for TransPennine Express are walking out for the 13th time in a row over pay.
It means there will only be five train services between York and Scarborough today.
Glyn Hellam, who is from TransPennine Express, said: "We really do want to bring this to a resolution but we have to clear that those talks need to be realistic, and in those discussions with RMT they really need to understand the context of the railway. We aren't in the same position as an industry that we were two years ago before the pandemic and quite simply, the finance in the industry just isn't there.
"We are now as a country in a completely different situation to the one we were in before the Covid pandemic and we all have to take stock of where we are and adjust our expectations in line with that. I would say to the RMT we are willing to talk, we want to talk, those talks are happening but let's make sure when we're doing that that we're being realistic.
"We absolutely apologise for the disruption that is on-going particularly on Sundays during this strike action. We are running very few services so our message is unless you absolutely have to make journeys, please try to make any journeys on those routes on either side of Sunday and what we're able to run is likely to be extremely busy."
TPE will only be running a very limited service on this date and is recommending that people avoid travel and make their journeys either side of Sunday instead.
Anyone that needs to make an essential journey by rail should plan carefully, check before and allow plenty of extra time to travel as any services that do run will be very busy. Bikes will not be permitted on-board TPE services on Sunday.
Information on the services the train company is intending to run on Sunday can be found at: tpexpress.co.uk/travel-updates/strike
Kathryn O’Brien, Customer Experience Director for TransPennine Express said: “With more and more people returning to rail, it’s really disappointing that RMT is continuing to disrupt people’s journeys across our network.
“We are recommending that customers avoid travel again this Sunday because of the planned strike and make their journeys either side of this instead.”
To help customers get where they need to be on today, TPE has arranged ticket acceptance with several other train operators: Northern, Avanti West Coast (between Wigan and Carlisle), CrossCountry (between Leeds and Edinburgh), Lumo (between Newcastle and Edinburgh), LNER (on Sunday only between York and Edinburgh), ScotRail, Hull Trains (between Hull and Doncaster) and Transport for Wales services. Ticket acceptance is also in place for FirstBus services in West Yorkshire for customers who may need to use a bus service to complete a rail journey.
Some exclusions will apply and full details are available via the TPE website.