Train strikes latest updates: Christmas travel disruption as RAC tells drivers ‘avoid roads until 7pm’

Avanti West Coast has strongly urged customers to only travel if absolutely necessary and check their journey during the festive period.

The last train from Glasgow to London will depart at 10.40am on December 24.

Barry Milsom, executive director of operations and safety at Avanti West Coast, said: “Over the festive period there’ll be changes to our services due to planned improvement work, as well as strike action by RMT members at Network Rail.

“As a result, our last trains will depart earlier on Christmas Eve and services will start later on December 27, so the advice to customers is only travel if absolutely necessary on those days.

“In addition, we’ll be operating an amended timetable and some journeys will involve a change or rail replacement service.

“We’re urging our customers to plan ahead and check before they travel if making a journey on our West Coast route between December 24 and January 2.”

The RMT has also announced plans for four days of strike action early in the new year, starting on January 3.

Strike action beginning on Christmas Eve will severely limit rail services with people being advised to only travel if “absolutely necessary”, Scotland’s rail operator has warned.

In the latest round of RMT (Rail, Maritime and Transport) union strikes, thousands of members are on strike due to an ongoing pay dispute.

The strike will begin on Christmas Eve at 6pm, with services winding down earlier than usual from 3pm – much earlier than usual.

No trains will run on Christmas Day or Boxing Day, with services expected to resume at later in the day on December 27.

David Simpson, ScotRail Service delivery director, said: “We’re reminding customers that ScotRail services will be disrupted over the Christmas period as a result of the dispute between Network Rail and the RMT.

“Services will be stopping earlier than usual on Christmas Eve, there will be no services on Boxing Day, and the first trains will start later than normal on Tuesday December 27.

“We know this is really frustrating for everyone impacted and we’re urging customers to plan ahead and check their entire journey in advance.”

Passengers arriving at some of the UK’s major airports over the festive season could face long queues as UK Border Force staff go on strike – with a threat of Christmas flight cancellations.

The Public and Commercial Services (PCS) union has announced industrial action from 23 December until the end of the year, with the exception of 27 December.

Our travel correspondent Simon Calder reports:

The strike has wiped out all the limited Boxing Day services, including all 43 planned Eurostar services linking London with Paris, Brussels and Amsterdam, our travel correspondent Simon Calder reports.

When the RMT strike ends at 6am on Tuesday 27 December. Services will slowly resume, though key operators will continue to run a sharply reduced schedule. Last trains on South Western Railway from the UK’s busiest station, London Waterloo, are at around 9.30pm until the second week of January.

No trains will run at all to and from London Liverpool Street due to planned engineering works through to the New Year – when national rail strikes resume on 3 January.

“Do not travel unless your journey is essential”: that is the warning from the rail industry to people hoping to catch a train on Christmas Eve, ahead of the next RMT national strike by Network Rail staff beginning at 6pm on 24 December, Simon Calder, our travel correspondent, reports.

On East Midlands Railways’ main line linking London with Leicester, Derby, Nottingham and Sheffield, the last northbound train for four days will depart at 7.35pm this evening. A separate strike by members of the Unite union means all later trains are cancelled, along with the entire schedule on Christmas Eve.

Elsewhere, train operators are racing to get rolling stock and staff back to depots before the walk-out begins. Last trains from many locations are in the morning, with all services ending by mid-afternoon.