COMMUTERS are being warned to carefully plan their journeys during a rail strike on Monday.

Members of the RMT union from Northern Rail voted last month to take a day of industrial action amid a row over the future of guards on trains.

Some rail services will still be running through Bolton on the Blackburn to Manchester Victoria and Blackpool North to Manchester Airport lines.

Replacement bus services will be running between Bolton and Clitheroe, also calling at Bromley Cross and Hall I’ Th’ Wood.

Sharon Keith, Regional Director for Northern, said: “Earlier this week we announced we would be able to run approximately 980 rail services on the day of the industrial action.

“After further planning we will also be able to operate around 300 extra rail replacement buses.

“Our aim is to deliver a public transport service for as many people as possible on Monday as we know Northern plays a key role in keeping the north of England moving.

“We expect all services, rail and bus, to be extremely busy and ask for customers’ patience on Monday. We would also ask customers to take time to consider whether journeys are necessary and, if they are, to plan carefully.

“As with the rail timetable, we have focused our planning efforts on providing a service between 7am and 7pm.

“And we have sought to provide an additional transport option for customers on the busiest routes that did not benefit from a rail service in the revised timetable.”

Union bosses say the train operator has failed to guarantee that guards will be kept on trains as modernisation work goes ahead, but Northern says change is necessary.

She added: “Modernising the train journey of our customers means we have to make changes.

“We want to involve everyone as we develop our plans, from our customers and communities, to employees and their trade unions.

“Our proposals are still in the early stages, so it is disappointing that RMT is taking strike action on Monday, because there is lots of time to talk and agree how we modernise the way we provide customer service.

“As part of our proposals we are prepared to offer guarantees on jobs and pay to our people.”

Full details of the rail and rail replacement timetables can be found at northernrailway.co.uk/industrialaction