National Rail issued an operational alert at 10:38 BST on 1 October confirming that TransPennine Express (TPE) conductors will strike every Sunday this month. The industrial action by the RMT union will significantly reduce services across the Manchester-Leeds-Newcastle and Manchester-Edinburgh corridors—key routes for corporate travellers and assignees moving between project sites. TPE plans to run a “skeleton timetable” of around 30 % of normal trains, supplemented by replacement buses in some areas, but warns that remaining services will be extremely busy. Advance-ticket holders can use tickets on the following Monday or receive refunds without fee. The walk-outs coincide with major engineering works at Euston and leaf-fall speed restrictions, compounding disruption to national rail connectivity. Companies with field engineers or consultants commuting weekly are advised to book hotel accommodation near client sites or switch to flights via Leeds-Bradford and Manchester airports, which report normal operations. The strikes are the latest in a wave of transport labour disputes over pay and rostering since 2022. Negotiations continue, but both sides remain far apart; additional action could be announced with 14 days’ notice under UK law.
