Travellers face a 'weekend of misery' as under-fire rail firm Avanti West Coat issued a 'do not travel warning' and slashed services. "It's going to be a nightmare", said one fed-up passenger as she waited to catch a train at sun-soaked Manchester Piccadilly.
The major station was packed, brimming with commuters clutching suitcases and backpacks. Some were off on long weekend breaks, with others rushing to meet their train for work. It is a far cry from the scenes the M.E.N reported back in June, when the first round of rail strikes hit the network up and down the country and over 50,000 members of train staff walked out in a row over pay.
But from this weekend disruption is set to ramp up once more after Avanti West Coast announced it will be slashing its timetables and suspending ticket sales due to 'unofficial strike action' by drivers. The under-fire rail firm has issued a 'do not travel warning' for Saturday and will run as few as four trains per hour from Sunday in an attempt to halt the short-notice cancellations which have plagued its operations.
READ MORE Andy Burnham blasts Avanti West Coast after 'disgraceful' announcement
Services between London Euston and Manchester appear to be the worst affected by the cut, with trains reduced from three per hour to just one. The limited timetable will be in place 'until further notice' Avanti West Coast said.
And on Saturday, people have been urged to avoid all travel on Avanti trains, with no services running all day. Customers have been told to claim a refund or rearrange journey, with those intending to travel by rail to Premier League fixtures in Manchester, Liverpool, Birmingham and London also hit.
It was a decision that the Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham blasted as 'disgraceful', adding he would be writing to Transport Secretary Grant Shapps about the situation.
Sylvia Unczur had been to Manchester to visit her brother John. She regularly catches trains to visit friends and family and noted the further disruption that striking is likely to cause.
She said: "I believe in striking as I am from the old days. I believe people should be able to stand up for their rights and for good working conditions and fair pay.
"You can't imagine what these workers have been through, but at the same time, this disruption is affecting so many people, especially those who use the trains for work.
"It's not nice and will cause tension, especially over summer. Fewer trains means people will be rammed on like sardines and people will struggle to get to where they need to go, but I can see it from both sides.
"My train to Manchester was delayed coming up and the rail system is just a right mess. It needs bringing back into public control."
Husband and wife Lin and Kevin Chisling don't have a car and rely heavily on the UK's rail network. On Thursday, the Devon couple were visiting Manchester for the day when on a short break away in Chester.
Kevin told the M.E.N : "We don't have a car and we love travelling around the country on trains. It's brilliant. It is devastating to think people will be restricted because of cancellations and won't be able to go to places.
"If workers have grievances, we understand that there will be strike action. We have been watching the timetables closely and luckily, we managed okay, but for people who need to travel to London for a commute, it will cause real problems."
Lin added: "It is going to be a nightmare and these train companies are still making millions. It is easier for us using the train for pleasure as we can look in advance, but those who need to catch services at certain times will really bit hit by this.
"Trains will be packed and the services will become so uncomfortable."
David Kidney, from Kent, said that he disagreed with strike action and that train users face a summer of chaos. "People will have football games to go to, festivals, holidays and weddings. It's going to be awful for them," he said.
"People rely on our railway lines to get around the country. I am retired, so have more time, and it doesn't impact me as much and I am able to book my tickets way in advance.
"Some people need to get to places quickly or last minute, especially for work. Lots of people will need the train to get to London from cities like Manchester, it's going to be awful.
"Train companies need to get their heads together and solve it, but it seems to just be getting worse with all these strikes. All through the summer people are going to suffer."
Wilhelmus and Linda Akili both work full time and also rely on Universal Credit payments due to the rising cost of living. They regularly travel to London and live in the Peak District.
"We regularly use the train to London for work so this could potentially be horrible for us," Wilhelmus told the M.E.N.
"There has already been so many delays and a lot of people getting stuck who won't know what to do. We support the strikes but at the same time it is a real struggle for us if trains we need to catch get cancelled or postponed."
Linda added: "So many people are going to stop wanting to use the transport services in this country because there is just no certainty anymore. A lot of people will be really disappointed by this."
Aslef has insisted that its members at Avanti West Coast are not involved in strike action before a walkout on Saturday in a long-running dispute over pay and conditions.
In a letter to the rail industry, seen by the PA news agency, Avanti West Coast managing director Phil Whittingham wrote that the 'current industrial relations climate' has resulted in “severe staff shortages in some grades through increased sickness levels, as well as unofficial strike action by Aslef members”.
Drivers at eight other train companies will also strike on Saturday. They are CrossCountry, Greater Anglia, Great Western, Hull Trains, LNER, London Overground, Southeastern and West Midlands Trains.
And on August 18 and 20, members of the Rail, Maritime and Transport union (RMT), Transport Salaried Staffs’ Association (TSSA) and Unite will strike in the long-running row over pay, jobs and conditions, affecting Network Rail and 14 train companies.
Managing Director of Avanti West Coast, Phil Whittingham, said: “Yet again our customers will bear the brunt of industrial action and will face a weekend of misery as a result. With the summer holidays in full swing and the return of the Premier League, this action will ruin many people’s plans.
"We’re obviously disappointed by ASLEF’s decision to go on strike, which we believe is unnecessary and premature. We would urge them to engage in meaningful industry reform talks around modernising working practices and developing a railway fit for the 21st century and we remain open for talks at any time.
“Our route will be severely impacted on 13 August. As a result, we’re telling customers not to travel and instead make their journeys on another date or claim a full refund.
"Many destinations on the West Coast Main Line will have no rail connectivity on this day, so anyone who needs to travel should seek alternative transport. Again, I would like to reiterate my thanks to our customers for being patient and understanding as our services face further disruption.”
A Department for Transport spokesperson said: "We welcome Avanti’s action to proactively alter their timetable to minimise the impact on passengers. While this move was unavoidable, it gives passengers certainty and confidence on running services.
"This is a prime example of why we need to modernise our railways, so that passengers benefit from reliable timetables which don’t rely on the goodwill of drivers volunteering to work overtime in the first place."
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