Transpennine Express Industrial Action

Fokx · 23 Sep 2026

The RMT Union and conductor colleagues have escalated their dispute over the Memorandum of Understanding, Rest Day and Sunday Working arrangements at Transpennine Express

Despite the significant work undertaken through constructive dialogue, the negotiations have failed as the company has suspended all further productivity negotiations with the Conductors Company Council until a resolution is reached in relation to the unrelated local matter at Manchester Piccadilly.
The NEC considers it unacceptable that the employer has “paused” productivity talks because of an unrelated local matter, where the employer has attempted imposition in breach of the collective bargaining machinery and caused a breakdown in industrial relations. TransPennine Express has made a series of threats in an attempt at industrial blackmail, and collective punishment in the form of stopping talks cannot be tolerated."

Eddie Dempsey
General Secretary

As such, Industrial action will take place by Transpennine Express conductor colleagues for all shifts starting between the hours of:

0001 Hours and 2359 Hours on Sunday 4th October 2026

0001 Hours and 2359 Hours on Sunday 11th October 2026

0001 Hours and 2359 Hours on Sunday 18th October 2026

0001 Hours and 2359 Hours on Sunday 25th October 2026

RailUK Forums

kw12 · 23 Sep 2026

Fokx said:
The RMT Union and conductor colleagues have escalated their dispute over the Memorandum of Understanding, Rest Day and Sunday Working arrangements at Transpennine Express

As such, Industrial action will take place by Transpennine Express conductor colleagues for all shifts starting between the hours of:

0001 Hours and 2359 Hours on Sunday 4th October 2026

0001 Hours and 2359 Hours on Sunday 11th October 2026

0001 Hours and 2359 Hours on Sunday 18th October 2026

0001 Hours and 2359 Hours on Sunday 25th October 2026

Is this "industrial action" a strike or "industrial action short of a strike"?

What is the matter at Manchester Piccadilly that has prompted the union to call this action?

dodecahedron67 · 23 Sep 2026

It’s a strike.

Mcr Warrior · 24 Sep 2026

What's the practical impact of this likely to be? No Sunday TPE services running anywhere on the four Sundays in October 2026?

Fokx · 24 Sep 2026

Mcr Warrior said:
What's the practical impact of this likely to be? No Sunday TPE services running anywhere on the four Sundays in October 2026?

During the last Sunday strikes, there was 1tph between Manchester Piccadilly and York calling at all stations between Manchester and Leeds.

However, due to engineering work services this October will be diverted via Calder Valley and less members of management sign this route option

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 24 Sep 2026 ==

kw12 said:
What is the matter at Manchester Piccadilly that has prompted the union to call this action?

The union has called this action due to a stall in productivity talks that have been going on for the last two years.

The "Piccadilly problem" is a separate, unrelated issue which that is being used as a tool to delay productivity talks, which is why the action has been called.

CHAPS2034 · 24 Sep 2026

Fokx said:
The "Piccadilly problem" is a separate, unrelated issue which that is being used as a tool to delay productivity talks, which is why the action has been called.

Are you able to say what is the nature of the 'Piccadilly problem'?

Fokx · 24 Sep 2026

CHAPS2034 said:
Are you able to say what is the nature of the 'Piccadilly problem'?

I don't have all the details but it's related closure of the Transpennine Express OTAP (On Train Accounting Point) due to the transfer of dispatchers and station team leaders to Northern

CHAPS2034 · 24 Sep 2026

Fokx said:
I don't have all the details but it's related closure of the Transpennine Express OTAP (On Train Accounting Point) due to the transfer of dispatchers and station team leaders to Northern

Thank you

Geeves · 24 Sep 2026

Fokx said:
I don't have all the details but it's related closure of the Transpennine Express OTAP (On Train Accounting Point) due to the transfer of dispatchers and station team leaders to Northern

The Northern OTAPs themselves are not a in a very good position right now either. I dont know the process at TPE but I am assuming that TPE guards are now doing everything themselves regards to machines and money?

43095john · 1 Oct 2026

This Sundays Action (4th) has now been called off

11th/18th/25th remain on for now

peri · 2 Oct 2026

43095john said:
This Sundays Action (4th) has now been called off

11th/18th/25th remain on for now

Does this indicate a thawing between the 2 parties?
I'm worrying about 18th October when Transpennine will be the only service between Hull and Leeds.

Hullbloke · 2 Oct 2026

Change at Selby on the hourly Northerns to York from Hull? That's if ticket acceptance is in place.

Bletchleyite · 2 Oct 2026

Hullbloke said:
Change at Selby on the hourly Northerns to York from Hull? That's if ticket acceptance is in place.

It is by rule now regardless of the reason for the cancellation.

peri · 2 Oct 2026

Hullbloke said:
Change at Selby on the hourly Northerns to York from Hull? That's if ticket acceptance is in place.

Engineering work blocks the line between Selby and York to Leeds, TransPennine are diverting through Castleford,
Northern are using rail replacement buses, all stops from Selby.
Hull to Leeds:-
TransPennine 1hr 8min
Northern 2hr 20min
So it's TransPennine or car.

800002 · 2 Oct 2026

Bletchleyite said:
It is by rule now regardless of the reason for the cancellation.

No.
If the cancellation is preplanned, before 2200 the day before, is my understanding, does not enable you to use any other operators service.

Cancelled trains which were in the time table at 2200 the day before, enables the traveller to use any reasonable route (excluding those not 'participating' in the scheme).
Would be my reading of the guidance, unless it has been reissued and I have no seen it.

Starmill · 3 Oct 2026

800002 said:
No.
If the cancellation is preplanned, before 2200 the day before, is my understanding, does not enable you to use any other operators service.

The guidance I've seen states the opposite to this.

800002 · 3 Oct 2026

Starmill said:
The guidance I've seen states the opposite to this.

Mine explicitly states that it is only applicable where servcies are cancelled on the day.
And includes the scenario where a service is P-Coded the night before, and therefore not showing in the days trains list.

Starmill · 3 Oct 2026

800002 said:
Mine explicitly states that it is only applicable where servcies are cancelled on the day.
And includes the scenario where a service is P-Coded the night before, and therefore not showing in the days trains list.

It's essentially an impossibility for a member of on train staff to know the difference between an STP cancellation and a P-coded cancellation though. So in practice it would be impossible to enforce any such criteria.

Sometimes P-coded trains won't be removed from the screen either. So again it's simply not a distinction someone in the middle of a ticket check is going to be able to make. What are they going to do, call control and ask them to look at the schedule in Trust? I don't think so.

There may also be an expectation that the customer had been offered free rebooking if they've had the train STP cancelled. Again however this cut off isn't 2200 the day before, it's much earlier, and more importantly not everyone will receive a notification about rebooking. They may not have had contact details on the booking, or they may have had the email come in a few days before and go into their spam folder. Either way they would still be entitled to travel by the next service.

Either way the public statements all just say cancelled. So whichever means it was cancelled by is immaterial to the customer.

greatkingrat · 3 Oct 2026

The RDG Staff Brief says

The policy covers short notice cancellations and includes services that are cancelled due to an unplanned on-the day issue, also services cancelled under p-coding arrangements.

Starmill · 4 Oct 2026

I suppose I ought not to be especially surprised that a poorly-drafted and badly-communicated policy change has resulted in sharply opposing interpretations, which could end up with disagreements between staff and customers, potentially over some quite large sums of money. This is, after all, the railway's speciality in Britain.

yorkie · 4 Oct 2026

800002 said:
No.
If the cancellation is preplanned, before 2200 the day before, is my understanding, does not enable you to use any other operators service.

Do you have a source for this please?

Djgr · 4 Oct 2026

800002 said:
No.
If the cancellation is preplanned, before 2200 the day before, is my understanding, does not enable you to use any other operators service.

If any staff member attempts to apply this, their TOC is going to be overwhelmed with bad publicity, as it is clearly against the spirit of policy agreed at a highest level.

800002 · 4 Oct 2026

Djgr said:
If any staff member attempts to apply this, their TOC is going to be overwhelmed with bad publicity, as it is clearly against the spirit of policy agreed at a highest level.

You know, I don't think it is against the spirit of the policy.

Starmill · 4 Oct 2026

800002 said:
You know, I don't think it is against the spirit of the policy.

I'd say given some TOCs are of the view that it fundamentally is the policy then you're probably wrong in that. As above the guidance I've seen makes it explicit that any cancellation after the time of booking qualifies, regardless of if it's one day or three months after booking.

Bletchleyite · 4 Oct 2026

800002 said:
You know, I don't think it is against the spirit of the policy.

The spirit of the policy is that if your journey is disrupted (regardless of why) you can mitigate your delay to the greatest extent possible by using any TOC(s) via any sensible route to complete it.

That's it. That's the spirit of the policy.

Other things may be the letter of it but are not the spirit unless you happen to consider the interests of the passenger unimportant compared to the petty application of bureaucratic rules that does nothing other than make the railway look bad.

Starmill · 4 Oct 2026

Bletchleyite said:
The spirit of the policy is that if your journey is disrupted (regardless of why) you can mitigate your delay to the greatest extent possible by using any TOC(s) via any sensible route to complete it.

That's it. That's the spirit of the policy.

Other things may be the letter of it but are not the spirit unless you happen to consider the interests of the passenger unimportant compared to the petty application of bureaucratic rules that does nothing other than make the railway look bad.

You'll find at least one operator where this is the letter, not just the "spirit".

My guess as to what's happening here is that someone at @800002's employer has fundamentally misread the RDG documents and briefed something at variance to them.

yorkie · 4 Oct 2026

Starmill said:
You'll find at least one operator where this is the letter, not just the "spirit".

My guess as to what's happening here is that someone at @800002's employer has fundamentally misread the RDG documents and briefed something at variance to them

If they were employed by a TOC I would agree with you, but my understanding is that isn't the case.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 4 Oct 2026 ==

800002 said:
You know, I don't think it is against the spirit of the policy.

Go on then, what is the policy exactly, and what do you think the spirit of the policy is, and why do you think that?

kw12 · 8 Oct 2026

43095john said:
This Sundays Action (4th) has now been called off

11th/18th/25th remain on for now

Any update about this Sunday's Action?

campdave · 8 Oct 2026

Industrial Action | Travel Updates | TransPennine Express

Find out if there's any industrial action taking place that may affect your journey. Read information about ticket refunds/acceptance with handy FAQs.

www.tpexpress.co.uk

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