Train travelers face up to five months of disruption on the West Coast main line, as the Rail and Maritime Transport (RMT) union launched a series of strikes on Sunday from January 12 to May 25.
The action follows the rejection of Avanti West Coast’s latest pay offer, with more than four-fifths of train managers voting against it in a recent referendum.
Avanti West Coast, which runs high-speed services between London, the North West and Scotland, warned that the strikes would cause “major disruption” to customers, after expressing its disappointment with the result of the vote. The company claims it has made a “very reasonable revised offer” to resolve the long-running dispute over the day off at work and a so-called “new technology push” for scanning electronic tickets.
The RMT, led by Mick Lynch, suspended previous strikes before Christmas after Avanti put forward a revised proposal. However, union leaders decided to resume and expand industrial action, blaming what they described as the company’s failure to offer a fair deal. The dispute centers on convincing guards to work on rostered rest days, including Sundays, to cover staffing shortages and avoid disruption to the schedule.
Avanti, which has been criticized for poor punctuality in recent months, was the worst performing train operator between July and September: just 41 per cent of its services were on time, compared to the national average of 67 per cent. The franchise escaped an early threat of nationalization after reporting improvements, but still faces scrutiny from the government, which ultimately controls its spending.
Industry observers suggest that RMT may be playing “hard ball” in its quest for a more generous package from the Treasury, given Avanti’s reliance on public funding. The union’s decision to escalate the dispute with five months of planned strikes highlights the ongoing volatility in Britain’s rail sector, raising concerns for businesses and passengers alike.