Strike action travel information

This page will have all the latest travel information for any upcoming strikes.

Last updated: 26/03/2024

There’s currently no industrial action affecting our routes and previous strikes have concluded.

This page is the first place we’ll update if any new strike dates are announced, so please check back and we’ll share information and advice as soon as possible.


I was due to travel on a past or cancelled strike day – what are my options?

Claim a full refund

Customers with existing tickets dated 5, 6, 7, 9, 10, or 20 November who booked to travel before those strike dates were announced (7 October) can claim a full refund with no admin fees from their point of purchase.

Customers who prebooked tickets to travel on 26 November before the ASLEF strike action was announced (10 November) can also claim a full refund, as can customers with prebooked tickets dated 11 or 12 December who booked before those strikes were announced (4 November).

If you bought your ticket from the Avanti West Coast website or app, simply fill in this form within 28 days of your scheduled journey date, being sure to include your booking reference and/or a copy of your ticket. You will get a full refund with no admin fee.

If you bought your ticket from another retailer’s app or website, such as Trainline, please visit their website to request your refund.

If you bought your ticket from a station, head back there with your ticket for a full refund with no admin fee.

Travel flexibly

Customers with pre-booked tickets for 11 or 12 December can still use these anytime between now and 14 December but, due to additional strike dates having been announced affecting 13 and 14 December, we strongly recommend travelling on your original booked train if possible, or prior to the strike action. As the strikes were called off before the timetable was changed, your original seat reservation will be valid on your booked train.

You don’t need to make any changes to your ticket in order to travel flexibly – our onboard and station teams will be ready to accept your tickets as outlined above.

If you're on the move, download the Avanti West Coast app so you can check your journey and train times whilst on the go. Download the Avanti West Coast app here >

Amend your ticket

If you’d prefer to travel on a future date after the strikes, find out how to amend your ticket here.

Claim a voucher

Although you can claim a full, monetary refund for all ticket types dated 5 to 10 November; 20 November, 26 November; or 11 and 12 December, in view of the industrial action, if you bought an Advance ticket on or before 30 November 2022, you can exchange this for a voucher valid for 12 months. Visit our refund page and choose ‘I have an Advance ticket’ to find out how to request a voucher.



Planned engineering works

Please note that engineering works are due to be taking place throughout December. Find out more, here.

Strike day timetables

We are continuing to work on our revised timetables for 13, 14, 16 and 17 December. As soon as these are confirmed, they will be published on this page as well as on our timetables page, along with the dates we expect correct timetables to be displayed in online journey planners and when tickets and reservations for these services will be available to book.

Passenger Assist

Please follow our travel advice above, but Passenger Assist will be available to book on the strike days where we are able to run some services, once the timetable is confirmed.

If you’ve already booked Passenger Assist for a strike day, we’ll contact you to discuss how you might want to change or rearrange your journey.

How will I know if my journey is affected?

What alternative transport options are there?

I’m a Season ticket holder – how will I be compensated?

Just one leg of my return journey is affected by the strike – can I still have a refund?