Graham Stuart MP says Monday's Northern Rail strike will leave people 'baffled and frustrated'
Fri 10th March 2017
Graham Stuart, the MP for Beverley and Holderness, has criticised the rail strike set to cause major disruption for passengers across the north of England on Monday.
The strike has been triggered by the RMT after Northern Rail refused to meet its demands for guarantees about the future of guards on all trains. The RMT is objecting to Northern’s reform plans before it has even discussed them in detail with the company.
Northern Rail has developed a contingency plan which will enable it to run a 40% service on its network on Monday. Core routes will be served from 7am with services winding down between 5pm and 7pm. A service will be provided between Beverley and Hull.
Three hundred rail replacement buses will be in operation and ticket acceptance has been agreed for journeys taken on Sunday evening and Tuesday morning, as well as on all Arriva bus services.
The Department for Transport has organised a dedicated team to help manage expected pressure points on the road network, the suspension of road works and extra staff at bus stations.
Speaking ahead of the strike, Graham said, “The RMT’s rail strike is the last thing commuters in Beverley and Holderness need as they try to get to and from work on Monday. The union’s action is totally premature as it has not yet undertaken detailed discussions with Northern Rail about its plans for the future of the service and local people and businesses will be baffled and frustrated that they are the ones being inconvenienced.
“The sensible thing to do in these circumstances would be for the union to talk to the train operator about its concerns rather than seek to grandstand in this way. Jumping the gun with strike action won’t resolve anything and it certainly won’t win public sympathy for their cause.”
