RAIL passengers are set to face nine days of disruption as the latest round of industrial action looms.

Greater Anglia employees represented by the ASLEF and the RMT unions will walk out in long-running disputes tomorrow and on Saturday respectively.

This will be followed by two further days of strikes by ASLEF members on May 31 and June 3.

The rail operator has warned further action could lead to some cancellations next week, between Monday and Saturday.

Harwich and Manningtree Standard: Sorry - Greater Anglia's boss has apologised ahead of the next round of strikesSorry - Greater Anglia's boss has apologised ahead of the next round of strikes (Image: Greater Anglia)

Customers are advised to check their route before travelling.

There will be a reduced service on a limited number of routes tomorrow, with an hourly service between Colchester and London and on the Stansted Express, and no trains at all will be running on the branch lines serving areas like Tendring and Braintree.

Where services do run, they will start later and finish earlier than normal.

On Saturday, services will run from 7am, with all last trains reaching their destination by 11pm.

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While more trains will be running on Saturday compared to tomorrow, Greater Anglia has warned there will be a reduced frequency on some routes, although many routes will have a normal or near normal service despite the reduced operating hours.

Saturday’s walk-out will impact the thousands of music fans wanting to make the journey from Essex to Liverpool to celebrate the final of the Eurovision Song Contest.

Between Monday and Saturday next week, four trains a day in each direction will be cancelled on the busy Norwich to London line, which transports north Essex commuters into the capital.

The boss of Greater Anglia has apologised to delayed customers.

Harwich and Manningtree Standard: Apologetic - Jamie BurlesApologetic - Jamie Burles (Image: Archant)

Jamie Burles, the firm’s managing director, said: “We are very sorry that once again our customers will be disrupted by strikes.

“The rail industry is working hard to resolve these disputes and talks will continue with ASLEF and RMT to try and reach an agreement.”

RMT general secretary Mick Lynch said the overwhelaming backing for further strike action across 14 train operating companies, including Greater Anglia, was a “de-facto referendum” on the ongoing dispute over pay and conditions.

C2C employees in south Essex won’t be striking over the next two days.