Numerous additional trains to London this weekend have not yet been organized by managers due to a continuing labor dispute, which puts hundreds of thousands of mourners who wish to utilize one of Britain’s busiest railroads to pay their respects to the late Queen Elizabeth II in the path of mayhem.
A protracted dispute over wages and working conditions on the 399-mile Avanti West Coast Main Line is expected to affect weekend visitors to the city who are coming from Manchester, Liverpool, and Glasgow.
The company has so far arranged extra services through Friday, adding four more return flights between London and Manchester for today and three more roundtrips on Friday.
This is according to an internal memorandum shared with industry chiefs – the ‘stakeholder bulletin’ – seen by The Daily Telegraph.
A long-running row over pay and working conditions on the 399-mile Avanti west coast mainline is set to impact those attempting to travel to the capital from Manchester, Liverpool and Glasgow over the weekend
Extra services to London this weekend have not yet been put on by one of Britain’s busiest railways amid an ongoing industrial dispute despite the expectation of hundreds of thousands of mourners descending on the city to pay their respects to the late Queen Elizabeth II. Crowds are pictured gathered to watch the hearse carrying her coffin in Edinburgh yesterday
But, so far, no additional services have been timetabled for the weekend, as it says, ‘We are acutely aware that Saturday and Sunday are likely to be extremely busy with people from all over the UK travelling to London to pay their respects. Saturdays and Sundays are particularly difficult at the current time as they had [sic] the highest reliance on overtime.
‘Nevertheless, we are examining what opportunities there are for additional services on those days and we will keep you informed. We are also actively looking at the possibility of chartering additional trains to help carry our passengers and are in discussions with potential providers.’
This summer, Avanti was forced to cut services between Manchester and London down from three trains an hour to just one.
The blame from bosses has fallen on ‘staffing issues’.
Managing director Paul Whittingham was forced to quit his role following his accusations against drivers union Aslef that it was launching ‘unofficial strike action’.
The Queen’s coffin arrived in London from Edinburgh this evening. The hearse carrying the coffin is pictured arriving at Buckingham Palace. For one night the coffin will lie at rest in the palace’s bow room before the late monarch is handed to the nation to allow the public to pay their respects when she lies in state at the ancient Westminster Hall for four days
Passengers at Euston station in London this summer following train cancellations, as London mayor Sadiq Khan and Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham criticised Avanti West Coast for drastically reducing its timetables, branding the decision ‘completely unacceptable’
After Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham (pictured) criticized the line last week, the idea of the line being nationalized came up once again.
After Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham criticized the line last week, the possibility of the line being nationalized came up once again.
In order to accommodate the projected 750,000 mourners who plan to visit London in the following days, railway companies did announce on Monday that they will operate extra routes.
This nightfall, the Queen’s casket traveled from Edinburgh to London.
Before the late monarch is presented to the country and laid to rest for four days in the historic Westminster Hall, the casket will lay in the bow chamber of Buckingham Palace for one night.
Before the Queen’s burial on Monday, hundreds of thousands of mourners are anticipated to swarm the nation’s capital to see her in her last resting place.