RAIL users are being urged to check journey times this weekend as Northern announces its timetable ahead of the Rail Maritime and Transport (RMT) strike on Saturday.

Those planning to travel by train should expect major delays and alterations as a combination of bad weather and the strikes are forecast to cause chaos across the county.

Despite the disruption the strike will cause, Northern has pledged to keep customers on the move by running more than 1,000 rail services.

Sharon Keith, regional director at Northern, said: “We have planned carefully to provide the best possible rail and rail replacement service for our customers.

“We will operate more rail services than ever before for a Saturday RMT strike and are doing everything we can to keep the north of England on the move.”

Normal Saturday timetables will be amended and with additional engineering work taking place in Manchester and Blackpool, around 44% of usual service will operate.

Northern have also said that staff will be out across the network offering assistance to customers who may have any questions.

RMT confirmed the 24 hours of strike action on Northern and Merseyrail at the start of February, as a dispute over guards and rail safety wages on.

The dispute is over 'attacks on the role of the safety-critical guard' and the extension of driver-only operation, an issue that has consumed companies across the country for a number of years.

For the strike, members of Northern and Merseyrail have been instructed to take action by not booking any shifts between 0001 hours and 2359 hours on March 3.

RMT general secretary, Mick Cash said: “Every single effort that RMT has made to reach negotiated settlements in these separate disputes with Northern and Merseyrail over safe operation and safe staffing has been kicked back in our faces.

“No one should be in any doubt, these disputes are about putting the safety of the travelling public before the profits of the private train companies.

“It is frankly ludicrous that we have been able to negotiate long-term arrangements in Scotland and Wales that protect the guards and passenger safety but we are being denied the same opportunities with rail companies in England.”

According to RMT, if the driver-only operation gets the go ahead, up to 400 guards across the country could lose their jobs, as the driver would be the only guaranteed staff member on the train.

Currently, both the driver and the guard protect the safety of the train and guards much be fully trained in operational safety and route knowledge.

To find full details of timetables, which services are running and bus replacement information, visit: www.northernrailway.co.uk or nationalrail.co.uk