A 24-HOUR rail strike on Northern services will go ahead on Friday after talks failed to resolve a dispute over the role of guards.

RMT union members will walk out over staffing for new trains due to come into service in 2020.

The disruption will hit those travelling between Newcastle and Carlisle on the Tyne Valley line and coincides with the first day of the Tour de Yorkshire cycle race.

Northern said it expected to run 40 per cent of its timetable and more than 300 rail replacement buses with the majority of services operating between 7am and 7pm.

The union said it was “angry and frustrated” the company had rejected a proposal to invite Department for Transport officials to join talks in an attempt to reach a solution.

“The public, who support RMT’s campaign for a guarantee of a guard on their trains, will be appalled that Arriva Rail North (which operates as Northern) has failed yet again to offer any kind of progress whatsoever in the talks and have instead opted to try and bulldoze through their plans regardless,” said Mick Cash, RMT’s general secretary.

Sharon Keith, regional director for Northern, said: “Being able to run 40 per cent of services, supplemented by the extra rail replacement buses, means we will be able to keep the north of England on the move.

“Our timetables have been developed to provide services on our busiest routes, at the busiest times of day. But we expect all services to be busy and ask our customers to plan.”

Northern customers will be able to use their rail tickets on Arriva Bus services.

Revised timetables can be found on Northern’s website at northern railway.co.uk/industrialaction