RAIL services between the North-East, North Yorkshire and London are set to be cancelled until further notice by the end of the week.

Grand Central, which operates from Sunderland through to London King's Cross is expected to announce that services will stop on Friday.

The RMT Union has since learned that Grand Central staff will 'lose pay' as 'wealthy' parent company, Arriva are understood to be furloughing staff on the government scheme.

Mick Cash, General Secretary of the Rail, Maritime and Transport Union today said: “RMT is frankly appalled that Grand Central is not intending to make up the full wages of the staff who are being stood down and is instead intending to just pay the 80 percent covered by the Government scheme.

The Northern Echo:

“Arriva, who own Grand Central, are a wealthy company which can afford to make up the 20 percent p difference and that is what we are calling on them to do.

“‎There are nearly 250 hard-working rail staff caught in the crossfire of the Grand Central service suspension plan.

"RMT’s preference was for those workers to be kept operational in an arrangement between the DfT and the company which would have kept trains running.

“If that isn’t possible the very least we expect is for their wages to be covered in full, with all current jobs protected, while services are suspended. We will continue to campaign and fight for just that.”

The Northern Echo has since contacted Grand Central for a comment