STRIKE action by Avanti West Coast staff will impact rail services via Lockerbie on New Year’s Eve and January 2.
Members of the RMT union are set to walk out on December 31 and 2 January, as well as every Sunday from 12 January to 25 May due to an ongoing dispute over rest day working.
Train managers usually work a 41-hour week but due to staff shortages can be asked to work on their days off. The RMT has argued the current arrangements are ‘unacceptable’.
Ahead of the industrial action next week Avanti is recommending that customers travel either side of strike days keep an eye on the timetables, saying: “On these dates, our timetables and operating hours will be significantly reduced and trains that do run are expected to be busy. This New Year, we strongly recommend you travel either side of the strike dates. If you booked tickets to travel with Avanti West Coast on 31 December or 2 January before the industrial action was announced on 17 December, you can now use them to travel any time from Monday 30 December to Saturday 4 January inclusive. Alternatively, if you no longer wish to travel due to the strike action, you can claim a full refund of your pre-booked tickets from where you bought them.”
