Commuters face fresh rail strike hell as Avanti train managers are preparing for strikes that could see them walk out every Sunday until May.
Members of the Rail, Maritime and Transport union (RMT) at Avanti West Coast will launch a series of Sunday walkouts in a dispute over rest day working.
They are demanding an extra £300 for staff willing to come in on their rest days, with operators relying on these staff to keep trains running.
Avanti urged its customers to travel either side of Sunday which marks the start of strike action every Sunday until May 25.
A reduced timetable will be in place on the strike days, with fewer services running during limited operating hours.
Kathryn O’Brien, executive director of customer experience at Avanti West Coast, slammed the RMT for their further action against the rail service
She 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.
Members of the Rail, Maritime and Transport union ( RMT ) at Avanti West Coast will launch a series of Sunday walkouts in a dispute over rest day working
They are demanding an extra £300 for staff willing to come in on their rest days, with operators relying on these staff to keep trains running. Pictured: RMT General Secretary Mick Lynch visits the picket line at Euston station in June last year
‘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.’
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.
An RMT spokesperson hit back: ‘It is wholly unacceptable that replacement managers can be paid around £500 per shift, about double what our Avanti members earn—while not providing the same service for passengers.
‘This kind of destructive approach has been seen time and again across Train Operating Companies and is a hangover from the previous Conservative government, which encouraged practices that reward managers with excessive payouts instead of resolving disputes.
‘Reaching a fair settlement would be more cost effective and make far better use of Avanti’s resources.
‘At the heart of the problem is a serious staff shortage, which is why there’s such a heavy reliance on overtime in the first place.’
Avanti urged its customers to travel either side of Sunday which marks the start of strike action every Sunday until May 25
On Sunday Avanti West Coast will run one train an hour between London Euston and each of Birmingham, Manchester, Liverpool, and Preston.
A limited service will operate between Glasgow and Carlisle.
In addition, rail replacement buses will run between Carlisle and Preston due to planned engineering work.
These trains will operate during limited hours, with the first train of the day departing Euston after 8am and the last train of the day from Euston departing before 5pm.
The significantly reduced timetable will mean North Wales, Blackpool and Edinburgh, Stoke-on-Trent and Macclesfield will have no Avanti West Coast services.
Lancaster and destinations in the Lake District (Oxenholme and Penrith) will not be served by Avanti West Coast on January 12 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.
