Rail passengers across the region are suffering fresh travel disruption amid the latest round of strikes in the long-running dispute over pay, jobs and conditions.

Members of the Aslef drivers’ union walked out on Wednesday (May 31) bringing many services to a halt as operators including Cross Country and Northern running no trains.

Speaking as he joined striking workers in Newcastle, the union’s general secretary Mick Whelan said no negotiations aimed at resolving the bitter row are taking place, while the Department for Transport (DfT) insisted it has “facilitated a fair and reasonable pay offer”.

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Mr Whelan said: “There are no negotiations since they came out with yet another deal that contained all our ‘red lines’.

“If you spend months in a room, tell people things aren’t acceptable to you, then they produce a deal that contains those things then they are setting the deal up to fail.

“That is a deliberate act on behalf of both the Government and the people that we’re dealing with.

“They do not apparently want a resolution.”

He added: “They seem to want (a) thousands of per cent productivity (increase) for a 20% pay cut.”

The Rail, Maritime and Transport union (RMT) has called a strike on Friday, while another Aslef walkout will take place on Saturday.

The Northern Echo: Newcastle Central Station was eerily quiet on Wednesday (May 31) morning as drivers walked out on strike.Newcastle Central Station was eerily quiet on Wednesday (May 31) morning as drivers walked out on strike. (Image: PA)

Passengers are being advised to plan ahead and check the times of first and last trains.

Strikes in the ongoing row have been ongoing for almost a year with no resolution.

The strikes are affecting 15 train companies.

The Rail Delivery Group (RDG) said around 40% of trains are running on Aslef strike days but there will be wide regional variations.

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On the RMT strike day on Friday, around 50% of normal services will run.

An RDG spokesperson said: “The upcoming rail strikes called by the Aslef and RMT leadership will not only affect our passengers’ daily commute but will also impact those travelling to and from the FA Cup final and other events across the country, causing disappointment and frustration for tens of thousands of people.

The Northern Echo: Mick Whelan, general secretary of Aslef, joins union members on the picket line outside Newcastle station.Mick Whelan, general secretary of Aslef, joins union members on the picket line outside Newcastle station. (Image: PA)

“It will also inconvenience families who have been looking forward and have planned their half-term holidays. It will also further burden our people who have already lost thousands of pounds at a time of financial strain.

“We understand the impact of these strikes on individuals and businesses alike, and we can only apologise for this unnecessary and damaging disruption.

“While we are doing all we can to keep trains running, unfortunately, there will be reduced train services between Wednesday, May 31 and Saturday, June 3, so our advice is to check before you travel.

“Passengers with advance tickets can be refunded fee-free if the train that the ticket is booked for is cancelled, delayed or rescheduled.”

The unions say they have not been given a pay offer it can recommend to their members.

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A DfT spokesperson said: “These strikes have been co-ordinated by union leaders to disrupt passengers in a week which will see major events such as the first ever all Manchester FA Cup final, the Epsom Derby and a number of concerts and festivals across the UK.

“Not content with impacting the hundreds of thousands of people who have looked forward to these events all year round, unions are also targeting their own members’ pockets by forcing them to miss out on pay every time they strike.

“The Government has facilitated a fair and reasonable pay offer, now union leaders must do the right thing and put this to their members.”