Corby, Wellingborough train passengers hit hardest by next rail strikes as RMT and TSSA stage more one-day walkouts

Corby and Wellingborough stations will be shut with no trains stopping there on two strike days this week.

East Midlands Railway says action by two unions means it will be unable to run any Connect 360 services on Thursday (August 18) and Saturday (August 20).

Early-morning services will also be disrupted on days following the strikes, Friday and Sunday.

Staff including signallers and managers who are members of the Rail, Maritime and Transport union will stage their latest 24-hour walkouts from midnight on Wednesday (August 19) and Friday (August 19) in ongoing disputes over pay, safety and conditions.

They will be joined by Transport Salaried Staff Association members in a separate dispute.

East Midlands Railway continued to run skeleton services on the Connect 360 route from Corby to London on previous RMT strike days.

But a spokesman for the operator said: “As in previous strikes, a significant pool of contingency staff have been trained to safety critical standards to ensure a service can continue to operate. 

“However, due to there being two unions involved, EMR is unable to operate the same timetable as during the weekday strikes that have taken place previously.

“Network Rail is also affected by strike action and therefore its ability to operate the infrastructure is also significantly reduced.”

■ Click HERE for downloadable strike-day timetables for East Midlands Railway trains from Kettering

Two InterCity trains an hour will call at Kettering but only between 7.30am and 6.30pm. The first London-bound train leaves Kettering at 8.08am on Thursday and the last service back departs at 5.11pm.

Football fans heading to Leicester by train for the Premier League clash with Southampton on Saturday are among those needing to make other plans.

Neil Grabham, East Midlands Railway customer services director, said: "We are extremely disappointed that both RMT and TSSA have decided to opt for counterproductive strikes rather than working with the industry to find a deal that is acceptable for our people, our passengers and for taxpayers.

"I would urge all customers to think carefully about their journeys this week and make alternative arrangements if possible.”

Trains from Northampton will also be affected by strike action on both days with two trains an hour to and from London and one an hour connecting the town to Birmingham.