'Significant disruption' expected on railway as Avanti West Coast staff vote to strike on New Year's Eve and every Sunday

The RMT union has announced strike action affecting Avanti West Coast will take place on New Year’s Eve and on January 2 - as well as all Sundays from January 12 to May 25, 2025.

Preston, Blackpool North, Poulton, Kirkham and Wesham, and Lancaster are all Avanti West Coast stations.

An RMT spokesperson said: “Our members have resoundingly rejected Avanti’s latest offers in two referendums and sustained strike action is now the only way to focus management’s minds on reaching a negotiated settlement with the union.”

The RMT said up to 400 of its members are involved in the dispute. They voted by 83 per cent against a suggested deal. Avanti said it was looking at how the strikes will impact services and will confirm its plans as soon as possible.

What do Avanti say?

Avanti West Coast said: “We’re looking into the impact of this industrial action, and we’ll confirm our plans as soon as possible. In the meantime, to minimise the number of people disrupted, we’ve suspended ticket sales for these dates. We’ll share travel advice, refund information and ticket options as soon as these are finalised.”

Strikes planned for December 22, 23 and 29 were suspended last week after a suggested agreement was put to a referendum of RMT members. An Avanti West Coast spokesperson said: “This strike action will cause significant disruption to our customers making journeys on the West Coast Main Line over an extended period.

Click here for the Avanti West Coast website