RAIL operator Northern – which runs services on the Airedale line – is urging passengers not to travel during the next round of union strike action.

The RMT – which is involved in a dispute over jobs, pay and conditions – stages its latest walk-out on Thursday (August 18) and next Saturday, August 20.

Also, a work to rule is being observed by the Transport Salaried Staffs' Association.

Northern is running a skeleton service on some routes – including hourly trains, from 7.30am to 6.30pm, between Leeds and Skipton.

But most services across its network will be cancelled and the company is advising people to avoid travelling.

Tricia Williams, for Northern, says: "The combination of strikes and ‘work to rule’ measures will make this industrial action worse than the two previous occasions this summer.

"We'll be able to operate less than 100 of the nearly 2,000 services we would normally provide. We’ve done everything we can to offer a skeleton service but our advice, unfortunately, has to be ‘do not travel’.

"We apologise in advance for the significant inconvenience this union action will cause."

Northern warns that passengers should also expect "significant disruption" on the morning after strike days, due to fleet displacement.