Avanti has confirmed its Christmas Eve timetable, including the first and last trains between major cities.
It comes as the Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers union (RMT) will press on with industrial action from 6pm on December 24 until 5.59am on December 27. Customers have been advised to only travel if absolutely necessary on those days.
Meanwhile hundreds of members of the Transport Salaried Staffs Association (TSSA) at CrossCountry, Great Western Railway and West Midlands Trains will walk out between December 26 and 29, it was confirmed on Wednesday (December 21). The union said the action will have a “severe impact” on rail services, especially in the Midlands and South West.
The CrossCountry strike will be from 9pm Boxing Day to 9pm on December 27, on Great Western Railway from noon on Wednesday December 28 to 11.59 am on Thursday December 29 and on West Midlands Trains from noon on Wednesday December 28 to noon on Thursday December 29.
Action short of strike is also taking place over this period at Avanti, GWR, Greater Anglia, GTR, LNER, Northern, Southeastern, South Western Railway, TransPennine Express, West Midlands Trains.
More strikes will cause disruption into the new year, with the RMT union announcing fresh walk-outs on January 3, 4, 6 and 7. Meanwhile the Aslef union has also announced strike action on 5 January, coordinated across 15 train companies - meaning a whole week of chaos to be expected.
Avanti first and last trains on Christmas Eve
Christmas Eve is the first day of the latest series of strikes over the festive period. Avanti West Coast has confirmed that the first train from Manchester Piccadilly to London Euston will be at 5.05am while the last is at 12.15pm. From London Euston to Manchester Piccadilly, the first train will leave at 6.26am and the last will depart at 12.48pm.
If you're travelling from Liverpool Lime Street to London Euston, you can catch the first train at 5.25am and the last at 11.43am. For the opposite route, London to Liverpool, the first train will leave at 6.32am and the last at 12.34pm.
The first train from Birmingham New Street to London Euston leaves at 7.21am while the last departs at 12.23pm. From London Euston to Birmingham, the first train will be at 6.16 and the last at 1.08pm.
If you're travelling to Scotland, the first train from London Euston to Glasgow central leaves at 6.03am on Christmas Eve and the last will be at 12.22pm. From Glasgow to London, the first train is at 4.26am and the final one is at 10.40am.
Rail workers across various unions have been striking since June, amid dispute of pay, working conditions and jobs as the cost of living crisis continues.
Read next:
