Rail strike risks match day MAYHEM: Football fans using the TransPennine Express to watch Leeds v Manchester Utd at Elland Road face delays and short-notice cancellations due to RMT action
- Thousands of Premiership football fans face significant travel delays this Sunday
- Members of the Rail, Maritime and Transport union (RMT) at TransPennine Express (TPE) will take industrial action on Sunday in a dispute over pay
- The strike comes as fans head to Elland Road to watch Leeds vs Manchester Utd
- TPE has warned that a reduced service will be running with delays and last minute cancellations expected
Thousands of Premiership football fans will be among travellers facing delays and short-notice cancellations this weekend due to a rail workers’ strike.
Members of the Rail, Maritime and Transport union (RMT) at TransPennine Express (TPE) will take industrial action on Sunday in a dispute over pay – the same day that hordes of fans are headed to Elland Road to watch Leeds take on Manchester United.
An amended timetable will be in place, with passengers urged to consider if their journey is necessary, but fans travelling by train to Elland Road have been warned that short notice changes may cause vital transport cancellations.
The rail operator said anyone planning to travel during the strikes should check carefully, right up to the last minute, and leave plenty of extra time to get to the ground.
The match between Leeds United and Manchester United kicks off at Leeds’ home ground at 2pm on Sunday.
Members of the Rail, Maritime and Transport union (RMT) at TransPennine Express (TPE) will take industrial action on Sunday in a dispute over pay – the same day that hordes of fans are headed to Elland Road to watch Leeds take on Manchester United
A TPE spokesperson told the MailOnline that the rail provider is also planning to offer rail replacement bus services from Manchester and Liverpool city centres to Leeds in an attempt to provide alternatives to disgruntled fans heading for Elland Road (pictured)
The match between Leeds United and Manchester United kicks off at Leeds’ home ground at 2pm on Sunday (pictured: Leeds players celebrate a goal at Elland Road, Nov 2021)
What TransPennine Express services are running on Sunday?
TPE has confirmed that it will operate a limited service on Sunday, February 20 for the following routes:
- Manchester – York via Huddersfield and Leeds
- York – Scarborough
- Hull – Leeds – Manchester
- Edinburgh – Carlisle – Preston Edinburgh – Newcastle
- Manchester Piccadilly – Sheffield
- Doncaster – Cleethorpes
A TPE spokesperson told MailOnline this evening that a rail replacement bus service will be in operation from Manchester and Liverpool city centre to Leeds. Details are expected in the coming days.
Full details of TPE’s amended timetables can be found via the website – tpexpress.co.uk – or by checking National Rail Enquiries.
TPE said it will operate a limited service on routes including York to Scarborough, Hull/Leeds to Manchester, Edinburgh to Newcastle and Manchester Piccadilly to Sheffield.
A TPE spokesperson told the MailOnline that the rail provider is also planning to offer rail replacement bus services from Manchester and Liverpool city centres to Leeds in an attempt to provide alternatives to disgruntled fans.
Details of the bus service locations, routes and frequency will be released in the coming days.
Kathryn O’Brien, customer experience director for TPE, said: ‘This will be the second weekend that the RMT has chosen to disrupt people’s journeys, including those heading to events such as the Leeds United v Manchester United game.
‘We are going to do all we can to keep people moving under difficult circumstances but, as with last Sunday, we simply will not be able to operate a timetable that provides a regular service.
‘We will continue to review our strike response timetables and will seek to provide additional services where possible.
‘Anyone planning on using the train this Sunday is urged to only do so if they absolutely have to. If your journey is vital, plan and check carefully before travelling and allow plenty of extra time. The trains we are running are likely to be far busier than normal.’
TPE has arranged ticket acceptance with several other train operators to manage the expected demand.
TPE tickets will be accepted on Northern (not between Manchester and Leeds), Avanti West Coast, East Midlands Railway, CrossCountry, Lumo, LNER (between York and Edinburgh), ScotRail, Hull Trains and Transport for Wales services.
Ticket acceptance will also be in place for First Bus 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 online.
A spokesperson for Northern said: ‘We will endeavour to absorb the additional passengers however anyone thinking of travelling on these services should prepare for them to be very busy and they may want to consider travelling at alternative times.’
Kathryn O’Brien, customer experience director for TPE, said: ‘This will be the second weekend that the RMT has chosen to disrupt people’s journeys, including those heading to events such as the Leeds United v Manchester United game. Anyone planning on using the train this Sunday is urged to only do so if they absolutely have to’
TPE said it will operate a limited service on routes including York to Scarborough, Hull/Leeds to Manchester, Edinburgh to Newcastle and Manchester Piccadilly to Sheffield. A TPE spokesperson told the MailOnline that the rail provider is also planning to offer rail replacement bus services from Manchester and Liverpool city centres to Leeds in an attempt to provide alternatives to disgruntled fans (A First TransPennine express train crossing the viaduct at Brownhill, Dobcross, England heading for Manchester)
Meanwhile, RMT general secretary Mick Lynch said: ‘TPE conductors who kept the trains running throughout the pandemic have been left with no choice but to take strike action after being given a flat no to their reasonable request to close the pay gap between themselves and other TransPennine workers by bosses who have mostly been at home throughout the Covid crisis.
‘To add insult to injury conductors on Northern Trains working alongside TPE conductors have reached agreement for a small payment of 2p for a new method of checking tickets.
‘Meanwhile, TPE conductors have modestly asked for and been refused the same small payment for doing these checks.
‘Our members refuse to be treated unfairly and will be continuing with industrial action until the pay discrimination is dealt with.’
Further 24-hour strikes will be held on February 27 and March 6.
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