02 February 2025 , 13:06
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Sunday’s stoppage to be worsened by engineering works, as dispute threatens to affect every weekend until June.
Rail passengers face severe disruption on Sunday as Avanti West Coast train staff resume strike action that threatens to affect every weekend until June.
The strikes, which were suspended for two weeks to allow for “intensive talks” between unions and the intercity rail operator, will be compounded by planned engineering works by Network Rail.
Services on Britain’s biggest intercity line will be reduced to one train an hour between London Euston and each of Birmingham, Manchester and Preston, with a limited service extending to Glasgow, due the stoppage by rail manager members of the National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers (RMT).
Trains that do run will operate limited hours – the first will leave Euston at just before 9am with the last departure from the station at about 5pm – while the significantly reduced timetable means north Wales, Blackpool and Edinburgh will have no Avanti West Coast services.
Planned engineering work in the Crewe area will mean some services are diverted, and there will be no direct Avanti West Coast trains between London and Liverpool. There will be an hourly shuttle service between Liverpool and Crewe.
Kathryn O’Brien, the customer experience director at Avanti West Coast, said: “With strike action, as well as engineering work in the Crewe area, impacting our services this Sunday, we are advising customers to check before they travel.
“We’re disappointed that the strike action is ongoing, and will impact our customers who may be working, visiting family and friends, or enjoying days out.”
The RMT had called off the strikes in the hope of making “meaningful progress” in a long-running dispute about rest day working.
If no resolution can be found, RMT members plan to continue Sunday strikes until the end of May.
“We remain ready and available at any time for talks to make progress on settling this rest day working dispute,” said a spokesperson for the RMT.
Passengers with tickets already booked for Sunday can use them to travel on alternative dates between Saturday and Tuesday or claim a refund.
People using the east coast mainline are also being advised to check before they travel because of planned engineering work. Services from London King’s Cross station will not run on Sunday as improvements are made to the track, drainage and overhead power lines.