How Avanti train strikes will affect you

The first of a series of weekend strikes by train managers on busy rail routes started on Sunday, causing disruption to passengers across the country.

Members of the Rail, Maritime and Transport union (RMT) at Avanti West Coast participated in walkouts following an ongoing dispute over rest day working and pay.

Strikes will now occur every Sunday through to the end of May and follow similar walkouts over Christmas and the New Year.

The industrial action will primarily affect passengers travelling in and out of London Euston to major cities such as Birmingham, Manchester, Liverpool and Edinburgh, and those using the rail firm in North Wales, Lancashire and Cumbria.

With planned engineering works taking place on most Sundays until the end of May, timetables for each strike date are set to vary and take longer to be finalised — causing further travel chaos for passengers.

Which Avanti routes are affected by the strike action?

Ahead of the strikes, Avanti urged customers to travel on either side of Sunday until the final scheduled industrial walkout on 25 May.

A reduced timetable will be in place on the strike days, with fewer services running during limited operating hours.

Trains which will run are expected to be busy. With planned engineering works taking place on most of these Sundays, timetables for each strike date may vary and take longer to be finalised.

Avanti West Coast Sunday’s schedule saw one train an hour running between London Euston and each of Birmingham, Manchester, Liverpool, and Preston.

A limited service ran between Glasgow and Carlisle. Rail replacement buses also ran between Carlisle and Preston due to planned engineering work.

The first train of the day departed Euston after 8am and the last train of the day from Euston was set to depart before 5pm.

North Wales, Blackpool and Edinburgh, Stoke-on-Trent and Macclesfield will have no Avanti West Coast services due to the significantly reduced timetable.

Lancaster and destinations in the Lake District (Oxenholme and Penrith) were also not served by Avanti West Coast on Sunday 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.

How is Avanti’s schedule affected this Sunday?

The rail company warned that engineering works and football fixtures on most Sundays until the end of May mean timetables for each strike day are set to vary and take longer to be finalised.

A timetable for Sunday 19 January will be published on Monday.

Ahead of the next strike day, Avanti advised customers to check their journey before travelling.

Anyone who booked to travel with Avanti West Coast on a strike day before the industrial action was announced on 17 December can use their tickets to travel on alternative travel dates.

Alternatively, if customers no longer wish to travel due to the strike action, they can claim a full refund of your pre-booked tickets from where they were purchased.

Why are Avanti staff striking?

The RMT union said the reason for strike action was a “severe staffing shortage” and an “over-reliance on overtime” at Avanti West Coast, which means replacement managers are being paid up to £500 a shift and double what the union’s members receive.

The union claimed the company failed to present any proposals to resolve the dispute and prevent strike action from going ahead.

Mick Lynch, RMT general secretary, said: “It is wrong that Avanti is paying replacement managers up to £500 per shift — around double what our members earn — while these managers fail to deliver the same service for passengers.

“This destructive approach is typical of train operating companies and stems from the failed policies of the previous Conservative government, which rewarded excessive payouts for managers rather than resolving disputes fairly.

“Avanti could make better use of its resources by reaching a fair settlement with our members, which would also be far more cost-effective.

“At the core of this issue is a severe staffing shortage, which has created an over-reliance on overtime in the first place.

“Avanti needs to table a revised offer that meets the aspirations of our members. We remain ready to negotiate and reach a fair deal.“

How has Avanti responded?

Avanti said it will be running “a significantly reduced service” over the upcoming Sundays and warned that the “last trains to and from London Euston will depart much earlier than usual” on affected days.

The rail company has warned customers its services will be “significantly disrupted” after the walkout by RMT members.

It reiterated that passengers should seek to travel either side of the upcoming Sundays due to limited services.

Kathryn O’Brien, executive director of customer experience at Avanti West Coast, said: “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.”