Avanti West Coast has issued travel advice during the latest strike action by ASLEF and RMT which will result in services being significantly disrupted.
During the two 24-hour strikes by ASLEF on 31 May and 3 June, customers are advised to not attempt to travel, as we will be unable to operate any services on those days.
Customers can instead claim a refund, seek alternative transport, or rearrange journeys for another date.
Options to travel by rail will be extremely limited on the West Coast Main Line between London, Scotland, and North Wales. Many destinations will have no rail connectivity on 31 May and 3 June. Rail replacement services will not be in place either on these days.
On Friday 2 June, customers are strongly advised to check before they travel as we will be running a reduced timetable. This is in response to strike action by the RMT coordinated across train operators.
We will run one train per hour between London Euston and Manchester, Liverpool, Birmingham, and Preston with a limited service to Glasgow as part of contingency plans. These trains will operate during limited hours – with the first train of the day departing Euston at 07.43 and the last train of the day from Euston departing at 17:16.
The reduced timetable will mean North Wales, Shrewsbury, and Blackpool have no Avanti West Coast services. Stoke-on-Trent, Macclesfield, and Wilmslow will also not be served by Avanti West Coast on 2 June due to operational reasons.
Rail is not an option for Manchester City and Manchester United fans heading to Wembley to watch their teams in the FA Cup Final on Saturday 3 June as a result of the ASLEF strike. While fans are being advised to travel by coach, trains from Manchester to London could be very busy if supporters choose to make their journey by rail on 2 June – the day of the RMT strike.
On Friday 2 June queuing systems will be in place at Manchester Piccadilly and anyone travelling from the station is advised to arrive 30 minutes before their train’s departure time. To provide more journey options for fans travelling to the capital, Avanti West Coast services will make extra stops at Crewe and Stafford to connect into Transport for Wales and CrossCountry services from Manchester.
Customers with tickets for 31 May or 3 June (purchased before 27 April) or 2 June (purchased before 18 May) can claim a full fee-free refund from their point of purchase.
Alternatively, tickets dated 31 May can be used from 30 May up to and including 5 June. Tickets dated 2 or 3 June can be used on 1 June or up to and including 6 June.
Should you have any queries relating to the upcoming industrial action and its impact on Avanti West Coast services, please contact your Regional Growth Manager, or email stakeholders@avantiwestcoast.com.