Avanti West Coast introducing reduced timetable due to ‘unofficial strike’

The changes to the services will be made later this week, with just four trains running per hour on Sunday.

It normally runs up to seven per hour on the west coast main line, with other services running to Manchester, Liverpool and Birmingham.

The train operator said that the change was being made in a bid to make services more reliable.

It has also temporarily suspended ticket sales and closed reservations.

Avanti West Coast posted on its website: “Our customers have faced multiple short-notice cancellations on our network which has had a severe impact on their plans.

“The reduced timetable is being introduced to ensure a reliable service is delivered so our customers can travel with greater certainty. This decision was not taken lightly, and we are sorry for the enormous frustration and inconvenience this will cause.

“We urge the rail unions to engage in meaningful industry reform talks around modernising working practices and developing a railway fit for the 21st century. We remain open for talks at any time.

“Whilst the new timetable is finalised, we’ve temporarily suspended ticket sales and closed reservations from 14 August to 11 September – this is to minimise the number of people disrupted. We expect the first week’s tickets to be back on sale towards the end of this week, then the following weeks on a rolling, weekly basis.

“We plan to run four trains an hour from London Euston, one to each of Glasgow, Liverpool, Manchester and Birmingham. Every two hours, we will run through to Edinburgh, via the West Midlands. There will be a shuttle service between Crewe and Holyhead, plus a limited through service between Euston and Chester of one a day. This amended timetable will be in place until further notice, and we will continue to monitor and review the situation.

“If you’ve already booked to travel with us from 14 August onwards and your train is cancelled, your ticket will be accepted on the Avanti West Coast service before or after your original booked train. Alternatively, you can claim a full, fee-free refund from your point of purchase if you no longer wish to travel due to the amended timetable.”

ScotRail came to an agreement with ASLEF last month, with routes returning to normal following months of reduced services.