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People travelling to, from
and within the Liverpool City Region advised to plan ahead of rail strikes in
January 2018
PASSENGERS travelling to, from and
within the Liverpool City Region are being urged to plan their journeys and
check before they travel ahead of planned industrial action by members of the
RMT Union on Merseyrail and Northern Rail services on:- Monday, 8 January,
Wednesday, 10 January and Friday, 12 January 2018.
► Merseyrail services are planned to run every
30 minutes, with the exception of the New Brighton to Liverpool services which
will be every hour, from around:- 6:30am to 7:30pm, with a break in service
between approximately:- 11:00am and 1:30pm.
► Wirral services will start and terminate from
James Street Station.
► There will be no services on the following
lines:- Hunts Cross, Liverpool Central; Ellesmere Port, Hooton; Chester, Hooton,
Kirkby, Liverpool Central and Ormskirk, Maghull.
Merseyrail tickets will be accepted on Arriva Bus services, except between:-
7:00am to 9:00am and 4:00pm to 6:00pm. All passengers are strongly advised to
check the Merseyrail's
website and
Twitter
before travelling, as it is possible that timetables will change prior to, as
well as during, strike action.
Northern Rail will operate a reduced service, with the majority of available
trains operating between 7:00am and 7:00pm. Services on some routes will finish
earlier and some Stations will have no service, for more information please
visit the Northern's
website.
► Mersey Ferries are due to run as planned and
valid cross river rail tickets will be accepted on the ferries on the 3 days.
► Key advice for everyone in the City Region
needing to travel on these dates is:-
► Plan ahead and consider your alternative
travel options. You can use the Merseytravel journey
planner.
► Check timetables and leave more time for your
journey.
► Avoid travelling at peak times where possible.
► Don’t aim for the last bus or train home as
services are likely to be very busy.
► Stick to public transport wherever possible to
reduce congestion on key routes in and out of the City Centre, including Mersey
Tunnels.
Speak to your employer about whether there is any flexibility in working times
or the possibility of working from home.
Said Andy Heath, Managing Director at Merseyrail:- "I am really
disappointed with the strike action being taken by the RMT that will, after the
previous strike days, yet again result in more disruption to your services. The
timing of these latest strikes, 3 within a week, has been deliberately scheduled
so as to cause as much impact as possible to you as a passenger. At the request
of the Metro Mayor, we agreed to independent conciliation with the RMT Union
with no pre-conditions, but to date, the RMT have refused to meet without
pre-conditions. I am very keen to begin a meaningful dialogue and engage in a
detailed negotiation to find a middle ground which will satisfy all parties. As
always, we will ensure that we deliver as robust a timetable as we can that will
best serve your travel needs."
Sharon Keith, Regional Director at Northern said:- "We are doing
everything we can to keep our customers on the move during the 3 days of
industrial action affecting our network. We are still working to determine the
exact services we will be able to operate, but those trains that do run will be
on an amended timetable and are likely to be extremely busy. We ask our
customers to plan carefully, allow extra time for travel and check the Northern
website for the latest information."
Frank Rogers, Chief Executive of Merseytravel said:- "Merseytravel,
together with transport operators, have been working to ensure a robust
transport plan is in place to support customers with their journeys in January.
In the past customers have responded well by planning ahead and in many cases
making changes to their usual journey when necessary. We are confident that by
continuing to plan ahead, our customers, both local and from further afield,
will be able to go about their business, whether they choose to travel by rail,
bus, ferry or car."
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