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Limited service for Lancaster rail passengers over New Year as strike action set to begin

Lancaster Railway Station

Rail strikes are set to cause disruption for passengers at Lancaster on New Year's Eve and into 2025.

Avanti West Coast staff are set to take industrial action after rejecting a deal aimed at resolving a dispute over rest day working.

Train managers will strike on New Year's Eve, January 2 and Sundays between January 12 and May 25.

Avanti runs West Coast Main Line services between London and Glasgow and Edinburgh, which travel through Lancaster railway station.

A Rail, Maritime and Transport Union (RMT) spokesperson said: "Our members have resoundingly rejected Avanti's latest offers in two referendums and sustained strike action is now the only way to focus management's minds on reaching a negotiated settlement with the union."

Strikes planned for December were suspended after a suggested agreement was put to a referendum of RMT members.

But 83 per cent voted against a suggested deal.

The RMT had said it was "unacceptable" that train managers usually work a 41-hour week, and due to staff shortages can be asked to work on their days off.

An Avanti West Coast spokesperson said: "The RMT union has announced strike action affecting Avanti West Coast on December 31 and January 2, along with all Sundays from January 12 to May 25 2025.

"On these dates, our timetables and operating hours will be significantly reduced and trains that do run are expected to be busy.

"This New Year, we strongly recommend you travel either side of the strike dates.

"If you booked tickets to travel with Avanti West Coast on December 31 or January 2 before the industrial action was announced on December 17, you can now use them to travel any time from Monday December 30 to Saturday January 4 inclusive. Alternatively, if you no longer wish to travel due to the strike action, you can claim a full refund of your prebooked tickets from where you bought them. 

"To minimise the number of people disrupted, we suspend ticket sales for strike days as soon as they're announced. Online journey planners now correctly show the amended strike timetables for December 31 and January 2 Tickets are also back on sale, although we recommend you travel either side of the strike dates.

"For the upcoming strikes on Sundays from January 12 to May 25 2025, we’ll provide more information on your ticket options and our expected service as soon as possible.

"We’re disappointed with this industrial action and we are sorry for the inconvenience it will cause. Please continue to check our website for updates."

After the strike call, a Department for Transport (DfT) spokesperson said: “This is incredibly disappointing news for passengers who would have been hoping to leave strike action in 2024.”

Read more: Strike action set to hit Lancaster trains over Christmas is called off - Beyond Radio

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