Members of the Rail, Maritime and Transport union at Avanti West Coast will launch a series of Sunday walkouts in a dispute over rest day working
Passengers on popular rail routes are being alerted to potential disruptions this weekend due to a strike by train managers.
The Rail, Maritime and Transport union (RMT) members at Avanti West Coast are set to initiate a series of Sunday walkouts in a dispute over rest day working. Avanti has advised its customers to travel either side of Sunday, which marks the beginning of strike action every Sunday until May 25.
A reduced timetable will be implemented on the strike days, with fewer services running during limited operating hours. Trains that do run are expected to be crowded.
With planned engineering works scheduled for most of these Sundays, timetables for each strike date may vary and take longer to finalise. On Sunday, Avanti West Coast will operate one train per hour between London Euston and Birmingham, Manchester, Liverpool, and Preston respectively.
A limited service will also run between Glasgow and Carlisle. Additionally, rail replacement buses will operate between Carlisle and Preston due to planned engineering work.
These trains will run during limited hours, with the first train of the day leaving Euston after 8am and the last train of the day from Euston departing before 5pm.
The significantly reduced timetable means North Wales, Blackpool and Edinburgh, Stoke-on-Trent and Macclesfield will have no Avanti West Coast services. Lancaster and destinations in the Lake District (Oxenholme and Penrith) will not be served by Avanti West Coast on January 12 due to planned engineering work.
Customers who do travel should plan ahead, expect disruption, and check the details of their last train home, said Avanti. Kathryn O’Brien, executive director of customer experience at Avanti West Coast, expressed her disappointment: “We’re disappointed by the RMT calling strike action for an extended period when our customers may be working, visiting family and friends, or enjoying days out.
“As a result, they will face significantly disrupted journeys during this time. I would like to thank them for their patience and understanding. On the strike days we’ll have a reduced service, so customers with tickets for those days are strongly advised to travel on alternative dates or claim a full fee-free refund. We remain open to working with the RMT to resolve the dispute.”
