TRAIN passengers in Bradford and surrounding areas are being warned services will "grind to a halt" tomorrow due to ongoing strike action. 

There will be no Northern rail services tomorrow when members of the Aslef train drivers' union walk out amid a long-running pay dispute.

The union is also carrying out strike action with other train operators this week, with passengers urged to check before they travel for all journeys. 

Tricia Williams, chief operating officer for Northern, said: "Unfortunately, the action by Aslef on Thursday will see our network grind to a halt.

"On the days when strikes are taking place with other train operators, we will do everything we can to keep our services moving and absorb those extra passengers trying to travel across the region.

"We can only apologise, once again, for the disruption this action by Aslef will cause to people in the north of England."

LNER also said it would be impacted by the strike action tomorrow and "running a reduced service across its core routes between London King's Cross and Edinburgh Waverley, and London King's Cross and Leeds".

Aslef said its members have not had a pay rise for five years and accused the Government of "giving up trying" to resolve the dispute.

A Department for Transport spokesperson said: "The Transport Secretary and Rail Minister have already facilitated a pay offer that would take train drivers' average salaries up to £65,000 - almost twice the UK average salary.

"Aslef are the only union left striking after the Government oversaw deals with all the other unions.

"Instead of causing passengers disruption, they should put this offer to their members and work with industry to end this dispute."

A spokesperson for the Rail Delivery Group (RDG) said: "We can only apologise to our customers for this wholly-unnecessary strike action called by the Aslef leadership which will sadly disrupt journeys once again."

However, there is a glimmer of hope that negotiations will start in a bid to resolve the row after the RDG invited Aslef to talks about exploring any common ground which could break the deadlock.

No formal talks between the operators and the union have been held for a year and for longer involving a transport minister.

Business groups have warned of the impact on the economy of the strikes, especially for hospitality firms.