Avanti passengers are being advised to seek alternative travel options around the strike dates, as services will be seriously disrupted
A two-hourly Avanti rail service is scheduled to operate between Liverpool and Crewe on the days of the strikes(Image: PA Archive/PA Images)
Passengers using key rail lines face travel chaos as train managers are set to walk out on strike. Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) union members at Avanti West Coast have declared walkouts planned for New Year’s Eve and January 2 amid a row over rest day working policies will go ahead.
Avanti has cautioned customers to seek alternative travel options around the strike dates, as services will be seriously disrupted with a “significantly reduced” timetable expected on the two days of industrial action. Operating hours will be shorter and the number of services will drop, leading to potentially packed trains.
On Tuesday, Avanti confirmed it will only be able to run a single train per hour from London Euston to Birmingham, Manchester, and Preston, with limited journeys extending to Glasgow. Similarly, a two-hourly service is scheduled to operate between Liverpool and Crewe.
On Thursday, January 2, Avanti intends to maintain an hourly service between Euston and Wolverhampton (via Birmingham), Crewe and Manchester, while just a nominal service is anticipated between Glasgow and Preston. During these strike dates, there are restricted operation times – with the initial departures from Euston earmarked for about 8am and the last trains leaving prior to 5pm.
With the significantly curtailed timetables, certain areas like North Wales, Blackpool, and Edinburgh won’t see any Avanti West Coast trains on the days of the strikes. Specifically, on December 31, Avanti West Coast has announced there will be no train services to or from Macclesfield. Moreover, on January 2, the network will scrap its services to key stations Warrington Bank Quay and Wigan North Western.
Avanti has advised passengers who decide to travel to plan ahead, expect disruption, and verify the details of their last train home. Kathryn O’Brien, executive director of customer experience at Avanti West Coast, commented: “We’re disappointed by the RMT calling strike action on December 31 and January 2. Our customers will face significantly disrupted journeys as a result, and I would like to thank them for their patience and understanding.”
She added, “On the two strike days we’ll have a significantly reduced service, so customers with tickets for December 31 or January 2 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.”
Train managers at Avanti West Coast who are RMT members will also be striking every Sunday from January 12 until May 25, 2025. An RMT spokesman stated: “Our members have resoundingly rejected Avanti’s latest offers in two referendums and sustained strike action is now the only way to focus management’s minds on reaching a negotiated settlement with the union.”
Mick Lynch, RMT general secretary, said: “Avanti West Coast created this dispute by ignoring train managers’ concerns and presenting offers those members deemed unacceptable. The company must come forward with a revised proposal so we can avoid more strike action further into 2025.”