Rail passengers have been warned to only travel if ‘absolutely necessary’ while staff are on strike.

Strike action on Thursday (August 18) and Saturday (August 20) will see 20 per cent of the usual number of trains running, while some routes will have no trains.

Disruption is expected on the West Coast main line, Chiltern main line, and all routes in the West Midlands, North West and in Cumbria.

Routes that are running will start later from 7.30am and finish earlier by 6.30pm.

This is due to the repeated coordinated strike action, over pay and modernisation plans by the RMT and TSSA unions.

Network Rail’s North West and Central region managing director, Tim Shoveller said: “It saddens me that we are again having to ask passengers to stay away from the railway for two days this week due to unnecessary strike action, when we should be helping them enjoy their summers.

“We have made a good and fair pay offer but, with the exception of our TSSA management grades who accepted the deal, our unions are refusing to put it to a ballot to let our employees have a say, and sadly that means more disruption on the rail network.

“We’ll run as many services as we can this Thursday and Saturday, but it will only be around a fifth of the usual timetable, so please only travel if absolutely necessary and if you must travel, plan ahead and check when your last train will be.”

Disruption is also expected early in the morning after each day of industrial action – Friday, August 19 and Sunday, August 21 – as striking workers return to duties.