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Travel plans for millions have been thrown into disarray as a combination of bad weather, railway engineering works and a strike by train conductors disrupts public transport.
At London Euston, Forward West Coast runs only a skeleton intercity train service during the first of 21 days train conductor strikes in a dispute over a working day.
As around 300 RMT members walk out, most Avanti trains connect the capital with the West Midlands, North West England, North Wales and southern Scotland are cancelled, and travelers are urged to avoid travel.
Another one-day strike will take place on Thursday, the 2nd Januarywith subsequent departures every Sunday from January 11 to March 25.
Mick Lynch, RMT general secretary, said: “Avanti West Coast created this dispute by ignoring the concerns of train managers and presenting offers to those members they found unacceptable.
“The company must come up with a revised proposal so we can avoid more strikes in 2025.”
Kathryn O’Brien, Executive Director of Customer Experience at Avanti West Coast, said: “We will have a significantly reduced service on the two days of the strike, so customers with tickets for 31 December or 2 January are strongly advised to travel on alternative dates or request a full refund at no charge.
“We remain open to working with the RMT to resolve the dispute.”
Rail travelers are facing more problems as many late trains have been canceled ahead of the New Year celebrations.
CrossCountry has warned of early closures and a reduced service in Manchester.
On the East Coast Main Line, a broken down train is delaying a journey between Morpeth and Berwick-upon-Tweed.
Anyone who manages to get from London to Edinburgh or Glasgow will face additional problems as severe weather hits Scotland.
ScotRail has imposed speed limits on many lines, including those linking the Central Belt with Perth, Aberdeen and Inverness.
In western Scotland, Caledonian MacBrayne has canceled many morning ferries, including those connecting Stornoway to Ullapool, Lochboisdale to Oban and the Isle of Arran to the mainland.
All sailings from Mallaig to Armadale in south Skye are canceled until the end of the year. Afternoon sailing is questionable on many other routes.
Passengers with bookings on Loganair, which connects the Western Isles, have been offered the chance to switch flights up to a week in advance to avoid the risk of disruption.
The Scottish Government said in a statement: “Travel disruptions are expected across Scotland while Transport Scotland makes preparations across the trunk road network.
Rail, ferry and airport operators are also working to ensure people can get to their destinations for the rest of the holiday period, when it is safe to do so and when the worst conditions have passed or are over.”
Back to London, the UK’s busiest station, London Liverpool Street, remains closed due to engineering works by Network Rail. The hub serving Essex and East Anglia is due to reopen on Thursday 2 January.