New Year’s Eve travel misery for millions due to stormy weather, strike action and engineering work
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2024 ends with travel chaos on multiple fronts. Travel plans for millions are in disarray as a combination of bad weather, rail engineering work and a train managers’ strike disrupt public transport. At London Euston, Avanti West Coast is running only a skeleton service of intercity trains during the first of 21 days of strikes by train managers in a dispute over rest-day working.
As around 300 RMT members walk out, most Avanti trains linking the capital with the West Midlands, northwest England, North Wales and southern Scotland are cancelled, with passengers urged to avoid travel. Another one-day strike will take place on Thursday, 2 January, with subsequent walk-outs every Sunday from 11 January to 25 March.
Mick Lynch, general secretary of the RMT, said: “Avanti West Coast created this dispute by ignoring train managers’ concerns and presenting offers those members deemed unacceptable. “The company must come forward with a revised proposal so we can avoid more strike action further into 2025.”.
Kathryn O’Brien, executive director of Customer Experience at Avanti West Coast, said: “On the two strike days we’ll have a significantly reduced service, so customers with tickets for 31 December or 2 January are strongly advised to travel on alternative dates or claim a full fee-free refund.
