NORTHERN Rail has said it is ‘surprised’ by the announcement of a further day of strike action next month.

Members of the RMT union are set to strike on Saturday, April 8 over concerns about the future of guards on trains on Arrival Rail North trains, the company that runs Northern Rail.

Responding to the announcement, Richard Allan, deputy managing director of Arriva Rail North, said: “We are surprised that RMT has announced strike action for Saturday 8 April as we had been in contact with their officials in the last 24 hours to organise further talks.”

“We have been clear that we want RMT, along with our people, our customers and stakeholders, to play a role in bringing our modernisation plans to life.”