Strike action travel information

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

Last updated: 28/11/2023

Upcoming travel disruption

Fri 1 December

Normal service
expected

Sat 2 December*

Amended timetable
& busy services

Sun 3 December*

Strike action:
no service

Mon 4 December

Amended timetable
post-strike

Tue 5 December*

Normal service
expected

Wed 6 December*

Normal service
expected

Thu 7 December*

Normal service
expected

Fri 8 December*

Normal service
expected

Sat 9 December

Amended timetable
& busy services

Sun 10 December

New December
timetable

*Other train companies are affected by strike action on these dates. More information can be found here under ‘Travel flexibly’. An overtime ban is also planned from 1 to 9 December, read more below.

ASLEF, the train drivers' union, has announced strike action at Avanti West Coast and three other train companies on Sunday 3 December, which is part of a range of strikes affecting 16 train companies between 2 and 8 December (more details below). Please do not attempt to travel on Avanti West Coast on Sunday 3 December as we will not be running any services on our routes.

Avanti West Coast services on the days either side of the strike will also be affected, along with industrial action impacting other train companies throughout the week, so we recommend you check your entire journey before you travel.

If your journey is affected by strike action and you're no longer able to travel, you can claim a full, fee-free refund from your point of purchase. Alternatively, customers who booked tickets to travel on strike days (during or before the industrial action was announced on Thursday 16 November) can use these on alternative travel dates. Find out more below.

To minimise the number of people disrupted, we suspend ticket sales for our services on strike days as soon as they're announced. Online journey planners now accurately show the amended strike timetables for Friday 1 to Friday 8 December, including no Avanti West Coast trains on 3 December.

Customers should continue to check our website, and those of other operators, for updates. We’re disappointed with this industrial action, and we are sorry for the inconvenience it will cause.

ASLEF has also announced that their members will withdraw from working any overtime between 1 and 9 December.

Though we plan to run our normal timetable during this period (with changes instead relating to the full strike action on 3 December and the resulting impact on 2 and 4 December), we recommend you check before you travel, as the overtime ban’s impact will vary from route to route, and your entire journey across multiple train operators may be affected.

Your ticket options

 

Strike day timetables

On Sunday 3 December, please do not attempt to travel on Avanti West Coast as we will not be running any services on our routes. 

To minimise the number of people disrupted, we suspend ticket sales for strike days as soon as they're announced. Online journey planners now accurately show the amended strike timetables for Friday 1 to Friday 8 December, including no Avanti West Coast trains on 3 December.



Passenger Assist

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.

To find out more or get in touch with our Passenger Assist team, click here.

Strike FAQs

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?

Only one leg of my journey is affected by strike action – what can I do?