BOLTON’S rail network will grind to a halt next week if rail chiefs and unions fail to avoid strike action.

The RMT and TSSA unions — which represent rail workers — are planning a 24 hour strike from 5pm on Bank Holiday Monday over issues to do with pay and redundancies.

Talks between union bosses and Network Rail are ongoing but the national strike is currently set to take place and the unions are predicting “gridlock” on railway networks in Bolton and across the country, affecting Bank Holiday travellers and commuters on Tuesday morning.

The two train service providers that cover Bolton, Network Rail and First TransPennine Express, will both be affected by any strike action taking place.

West Coast main line operator Virgin Trains has already cancelled all services on Monday and Tuesday because of the threat of a strike.

The strike action will be another blow for Bolton’s weary commuters who are already coping with major reductions of services because of engineering work going on at the Farnworth Tunnels site. Currently, no trains stop in Bolton at weekends and the Monday to Friday service is down to four trains an hour.

A spokesman for the RMT union told The Bolton News: “As things stand the strike is on and we expect there to be gridlock on the tracks in Bolton and across the country by Tuesday morning.

“We are hoping that we can reach a negotiated settlement before Monday — this is about having a properly rewarded and resourced workforce, delivering a rail system for the entire country.

He added: “We believe that planned attacks on our members are about diluting the safety of the regime and cutting corners, so everyone has a stake in this.”

If no agreement is reached, action will begin with an overtime ban from midnight on Sunday and then workers due to start late shifts on Monday will not turn up for work.

Mark Carne, chief executive of Network Rail said: “We are continuing to talk with the unions and we believe there is a settlement to be had.

“This strike is deliberately timed to cause maximum disruption to families trying to enjoy the half-term break and millions more returning to work after the bank holiday. I find it deplorable that the RMT can hold the travelling public to ransom in this way.

He said that if the strike goes ahead, customers should check what “special measures” have been put in place by operators for people who have already booked tickets.

Passengers can keep updated on the latest news via northernrail.org/news and networkrail.co.uk