Advice issued to Avanti West Coast customers ahead of further summer strikes

• Avanti West Coast publishes amended timetable for August 18 and 20 strike days
• Customers who have to travel asked to expect disruption and plan ahead
• Significantly reduced service means trains expected to be very busy, with shorter hours of operation, and less frequent services

Avanti West Coast is again strongly advising customers to only travel if absolutely necessary ahead of two further strikes this week.

Coordinated industrial action by the RMT across train operators and Network Rail will see staff walk out on Thursday, 18 August and Saturday, 20 August, resulting in severe disruption to rail services. Members of the TSSA union at Avanti West Coast will also strike on the same days.

The intercity operator will run a limited service with trains due to start later and finish much earlier than usual. Customers are strongly advised to check the times of the last services. The days after industrial action will also be affected with services expected to start later.

Managing Director of Avanti West Coast, Phil Whittingham, said: “It’s extremely disappointing the RMT and TSSA have decided to disrupt customers’ lives once again and cause more misery and frustration. This is the third consecutive month of strike action to impact our services and I would like to thank our customers for their continued patience and understanding.  

“With the summer holidays in full swing, the return of the Premier League and other events happening on our network, this action will ruin many people’s plans. We would urge RMT and TSSA to engage in meaningful industry reform talks around modernising working practices and developing a railway fit for the 21st century and we remain open for talks at any time.

“We’re strongly advising customers to only travel where absolutely necessary on our route during the strike and instead make their journeys on alternative days or claim a full refund. We understand some people will have no choice but to travel and they should check our website for the latest updates before making their journey.”  

Avanti West Coast are running one train per hour between Euston and each of Manchester, Liverpool, Birmingham and Preston with a limited service to Glasgow. These trains will operate during limited hours – with the first train of the day departing Euston just before 8am and the last train of the day from Euston scheduled to leave mid-afternoon.

The significantly reduced timetable will mean North Wales, Shrewsbury, Blackpool and Edinburgh have no Avanti West Coast services on the strike days.

Tim Shoveller, Network Rail's North West and Central region managing director, said: “It saddens me that we are again having to ask passengers to stay away from the railway for two days this week due to unnecessary strike action, when we should be helping them enjoy their summers.

“We have made a good and fair offer but, with the exception of our TSSA management grades who accepted the deal, our unions are refusing to let our employees have a say, and sadly that means more disruption on the rail network.

“We’ll run as many services as we can, across the network, on Thursday and Saturday, but it will only be around a fifth of the usual timetable, so please only travel if absolutely necessary and if you must travel, plan ahead and check when your last train will be.”

Due to the different signalling system in use on some parts of the West Coast Main Line, which is more resource-intensive to operate, the intercity operator is unable to stop trains at Stoke-on-Trent, Macclesfield, Stockport, as well as Runcorn, on the strike day and these stations will not be open.

Avanti West Coast will also not serve Wilmslow due to operational reasons.