Avanti West Coast strongly advises customers to only travel if absolutely necessary during latest industrial action

• Avanti West Coast will operate an amended timetable on 8 October strike date
• Customers who have to travel advised to plan ahead and expect disruption
• Shorter hours of operation, less frequent stops and a significantly reduced service means trains could be busy

Avanti West Coast is strongly advising customers to only travel if absolutely necessary on the upcoming strike day as it prepares to operate a significantly reduced timetable.

During the national strike on Saturday 8 October, the intercity operator will be running approximately a third of its typical Saturday timetable, as part of the industry’s response to coordinated industrial action by the RMT across train operators and Network Rail. Members of the TSSA union at Avanti West Coast will also strike on the same day.

With fewer services running and a significantly reduced operation, trains could be busy, and customers are strongly advised to only travel if absolutely necessary. Customers who do travel should plan ahead, expect disruption, and check the details of their last train home.

As part of its strike contingency plans, Avanti West Coast will run one train per hour between Euston and each of Manchester, Liverpool, 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 departing mid-afternoon.  

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

In addition, due to planned Network Rail upgrade works taking place between Coventry and Birmingham International, there will be no direct Avanti West Coast services between London Euston and Birmingham New Street**.

Customers who absolutely must travel on Saturday 8 October are advised to check the Avanti West Coast website and those of other train operators before making their journey.

Any customers with existing tickets dated up until 9 October can claim a full refund or use those tickets anytime between now and 11 October.

Barry Milsom, Executive Director of Operations and Safety at Avanti West Coast, said: “Our customers will face another day of disruption because of RMT and TSSA strikes. This is the second weekend this month our services will be impacted by industrial action, and I would like to thank our customers for their continued patience and understanding.

“We all need to be working together for the long-term benefit of our people and customers. So, we ask RMT and TSSA to engage in meaningful industry reform talks around modernising working practices and developing a railway fit for the 21^st century.

“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.”  

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.

ENDS