The revised timetables for the first two strike days are available on Avanti West Coast’s website today: https:///www.avantiwestcoast.co.uk/travel-information/plan-your-journey/strike. Additional timetables will be posted on that page in due course.
As part of the industry’s response to coordinated industrial action by the RMT union across train operators and Network Rail on those dates, the intercity operator is running approximately 25% of its typical weekday timetable on Tuesday 21 and Thursday 23 June, and around a third of its typical Saturday timetable on 25 June.
Trains are expected to be extremely crowded due to fewer services running, and customers are strongly advised to travel only if absolutely necessary on a strike day. Customers are advised to expect significant disruption and to plan ahead if they must travel. The day following the strike is also likely to be impacted.
Avanti West Coast expects to run one train per hour from Euston to each of Manchester, Liverpool, Birmingham, and Preston, with a limited service to Glasgow as part of its contingency plans.
These trains will run for a limited time*, with the first train of the day departing Euston shortly before 8 a.m. and the last train of the day departing mid-afternoon.
On strike days, there will be no Avanti West Coast services in North Wales, Shrewsbury, Blackpool, or Edinburgh due to the significantly reduced timetable (21, 23 and 25 June).
Customers who need to travel on strike days should plan ahead, make reservations when they are available, and check the Avanti West Coast website as well as the websites of other train operators before travelling.
Customers who purchased tickets for travel from Tuesday, June 21 to Sunday, June 26 can use them at any time between now and Monday, June 27. If you have tickets from Tuesday, June 21 to Sunday, June 26, you can get a full refund with no fees.
“We are disappointed with the decision to go on strike, which we believe is premature and will cause untold misery for customers,” said Phil Whittingham, Managing Director of Avanti West Coast. We would urge the RMT not to go ahead with industrial action and instead work with us to secure the rail service’s long-term future.
On strike days, we’ll run an amended timetable with fully-trained staff onboard and at stations across our network for our customers, but we’ll be operating at a significantly reduced service.” As a result, our trains may be extremely crowded, and destinations may be served infrequently, if at all. We strongly advise customers to only travel on our route on strike days if absolutely necessary, and to make alternative arrangements or claim a full refund.
“We understand that some people will have no choice but to travel, and they should check our website for the most up-to-date information before departing.” I’d also like to take this opportunity to express my gratitude to our customers in advance for their patience.”
Because of the different signalling system in use on some sections of the West Coast Main Line, which requires more resources to operate, the intercity operator is unable to stop trains at Stoke-on-Trent, Macclesfield, Stockport, and Runcorn on strike days, and these stations will be closed.
“We’re working hard with all train operators, including Avanti West Coast, to run the best service we can for passengers and freight users next week, despite the RMT’s actions,” said Phil James, Network Rail’s North West route director. A special timetable will be in place if the damaging strikes go ahead as planned.
During the planned RMT walkouts, thousands of trained and fully qualified back-up staff will step in.” With only a fraction of the usual workforce available, including signallers who safely move trains around the network, service will be severely limited, and many routes will be completely unserviced. We’re asking passengers to plan ahead, listen to their train operator, and only consider travelling next week if absolutely necessary.”
