A TRAIN company has warned of disruption to services and late-notice cancellations – citing strike action which a trade union says does not exist.
Avanti West Coast claimed that “unofficial” action by drivers means it is facing “multiple short-notice cancellations” on its network from Monday.
However, the drivers’ union Aslef strongly denied its members were taking action this week.
Aslef members at Avanti will strike on August 13 as part of the long-running dispute over pay and conditions but the union said nothing else is planned before then.
Avanti – which is majority-owned by the Aberdeen based First Group – said in a statement that cancellations were likely to continue until the current industrial dispute is settled.
“Customers are urged to check their journey on our website before coming to the station, and should be prepared for services to be disrupted at short notice and be very busy.
“We are sorry for the enormous frustration and inconvenience this will cause our customers, and condemn the drivers’ actions.
“We urge them to engage in meaningful talks around modernising working practices and developing a railway fit for the 21st century.”
The company runs services from London to Glasgow and Edinburgh, with routes to Manchester, Liverpool, North Wales and Birmingham.
However, Mick Whelan, general secretary of Aslef, accused the train firm of “lying” to passengers.
He said: “There is no action – official or unofficial – and the company should stop lying to passengers and belittling its staff.”
A union spokesman said the company did not employ enough train drivers to deliver its services.
UK-wide strikes are planned in August by Aslef, the Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) union and the Transport Salaried Staffs Association (TSSA) in the worsening rows over pay, jobs and conditions.
