West Midlands commuters face fresh disruption to trains as strike planned this weekend

Passengers on busy rail routes will face fresh disruption this weekend because of another strike by train managers in a dispute over rest day working.

Members of the Rail, Maritime and Transport union (RMT) at Avanti West Coast will walk out on Sunday, causing “significant” disruption to services.

To add to the delays, there will be no trains between Rugby and Stafford via Nuneaton on Saturday and Sunday because of engineering work, meaning some Avanti services will be diverted, leading to longer journey times.

Avanti advised its customers to travel either side of Sunday, warning that fewer services will run, during limited operating hours, on the day of the strike.

There will be one train an hour on Sunday to and from London Euston to Birmingham and Manchester, and one train every two hours to and from London Euston to Liverpool and Glasgow.

The first service of the day will leave Euston after 8am and the last will depart at around 5pm.

The reduced timetable will mean North Wales, Blackpool and Edinburgh will have no Avanti West Coast services.

In addition, rail replacement buses will run between Coventry and Nuneaton due to planned engineering work.

With fewer services running during shorter hours of operation and football fixtures taking place at destinations on the West Coast Main Line, trains are expected to be busy.

Avanti said people who do travel should plan ahead, expect disruption, and check the details of their last train home.

Passengers with existing tickets for Sunday can travel any time from Saturday up to and including Tuesday, or can claim a refund from their point of purchase.

Kathryn O’Brien, customer experience director at Avanti West Coast, said: “We’re disappointed by the RMT calling strike action when our customers may be working, visiting family and friends, or enjoying days out.

“As a result, they will face significantly disrupted journeys.

“I would like to thank them for their patience and understanding.

“During this latest strike action we’ll have a reduced service which is also impacted by planned engineering work, so customers with tickets for this day 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.”

An RMT spokesman said: “We have had meaningful and helpful discussions with Avanti and we have agreed to meet again, with the ultimate aim of reaching a negotiated settlement.”

Further strikes are planned on Sundays for the next few months.