Rail operator Northern has issued passengers with a ‘do not travel’ warning ahead of strike action due to take place later this month.

The operator, which serves East Lancashire and much of the North of England, is telling people not to try and use its services on Thursday, September 15, and Saturday 17.

Members of the RMT and ASLEF unions are taking strike action in disputes over pay and working conditions meaning no services at all will run on Thursday 15, with only a skeleton service which will not enter any of East Lancashire on Saturday 17.

The only services that will run between 7.30am and 6.30pm are in West Yorkshire and between Liverpool and Manchester Airport.

Rail users should also expect significant disruption on Friday 16 and Sunday 18 as the strikes mean services will not start until after rush hour.

Tricia Williams, chief operating officer at Northern, said: “This is the fourth ‘Do Not Travel’ notice we have been forced to issue this summer due to strike action by the trade unions.

“On previous strike dates, we’ve always done everything we can to offer a skeleton service - but due to a combination of factors this time around, we have no option but to suspend operations altogether on Thursday 15.

“Even with the skeleton timetable on Saturday 17, our advice remains ‘Do Not Travel’.

“We apologise in advance for the significant disruption and inconvenience this action by the RMT and ASLEF unions will cause to our customers.

“As we have previously pledged, we will continue to work towards a resolution to this issue with the hope of avoiding more disruptive strikes in the future.”