Trains operated by Avanti West Coast on the line via Milton Keynes are set to be affected by strike action.
Members of the RMT trade union have announced train managers represented by the union will strike today (31/12) and on January 2nd, with further ongoing action expected further on Sundays into May 2025.
The action was announced earlier this month as part of a dispute over enhanced payments for rest day working.
Avanti West Coast have said in a statement that they recommend avoiding travelling on the affected days.
In their statement, they said, “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 31 December or 2 January before the industrial action was announced on 17 December, you can now use them to travel any time from Monday 30 December to Saturday 4 January 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.”
The strikes means that there is a significant reduction in Avanti West Coast trains in operation on the affected strike days.
A mix of engineering works and the strikes means that today (31/12), Avanti will be limiting operations to just three trains an hour out of London Euston, with one each going to Birmingham, Manchester and Preston, and a limited service going onwards from Preston to Glasgow. The last departures from Euston will be at around 5pm.
As for January 2nd, Avanti confirmed they plan to run three trains per hour to and from London Euston: one to each of Wolverhampton (via Birmingham), Crewe and Manchester. It is also the case that the last departures from Euston will be at around 5pm.
Pre-planned engineering works means no services are in operation to Liverpool, but the reductions also means no services run by Avanti to North Wales, Blackpool or Edinburgh.
The announced plans for strikes on Sundays between January and May 2025 will be confirmed by the operator in due course.
In a statement, Kathryn O’Brien, Executive Director of Customer Experience at Avanti West Coast, said, “We’re disappointed by the RMT calling strike action on 31 December and 2 January. Our customers will face significantly disrupted journeys as a result, and I would like to thank them for their patience and understanding.
“On the two strike days we’ll have a significantly reduced service, so customers with tickets for 31 December or 2 January are strongly advised to travel on alternative dates or claim a full fee-free refund. We remain open to working with the RMT to resolve the dispute.”
RMT have argued that Avanti failed to address their concerns adequately, leaving them with no choice but to call the strike action.
Mick Lynch, RMT general secretary, said, “Avanti West Coast created this dispute by ignoring train managers’ concerns and presenting offers those members deemed unacceptable.
“The company must come forward with a revised proposal so we can avoid more strike action further into 2025.”
Police have released a CCTV image of a man officers would like to speak to following an assault in Milton Keynes.
The image’s release is part of Thames Valley Police’s appeal into an incident that happened in a pub in the city on Christmas Day.
The incident happened at around 3.50pm on Christmas Day at Wavendon Arms in Newport Road in Wavendon on the edge of Milton Keynes.
During the incident, a man was abusive and assaulted a person at the pub. Thames Valley Police confirmed that the victim, who was a man in his thirties, did not sustain injuries.
Investigating officer PC James Ferriman said: “I am appealing to anyone who recognises the man pictured as he may have vital information to assist us with our enquiries.
“If this is you, please come forward as soon as possible.
“If you have any information relating to this incident, please call 101 or report it online, quoting 43240622823.
“Alternatively, if you wish to remain anonymous, you can contact the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 or via its website.”
MK Dons head coach Scott Lindsey felt his side needed to be more assertive after taking the lead against Crewe.
The Dons had taken the lead against Crewe early on through Joe White’s ninth minute goal, but the team were unable to build on it before Jamie Knight-Lebel’s equaliser in the second half.
Speaking after the game, Lindsey said he felt his side could’ve done more to press home the advantage they had won early on.
He said, “I thought we didn’t step forward when we should’ve. We get the first goal quite early and I think that after we scored, we spent the next ten minutes in our half of the pitch. So I want us to be braver. I want us to step forward, keep attacking, keep playing and keep creating opportunities for us to go and get two goals and make it harder for the opposition.
“But we seemed to step backwards a little bit and invite Crewe onto us, and we spent the next ten minutes in our half of the pitch. So I was disappointed by that. I wanted to show a little more bravery after the first goal.”
Lindsey also said he had mixed views on the second half, feeling a slow start was seen around the equaliser but that he felt the side did improve in the final stages against a tricky defence to play against.
“Second half, I didn’t think we started the half very well. We huffed and puffed a little bit and then we kind of got a little bit more control through the second half. I think there was some good passages and right at the end, probably last five minutes, we looked like the team that were trying to win it.
“We didn’t create loads but I must admit we just played against a really solid defence in Crewe. Before the game, they were third in the division for clean sheets.
“They’re a really hard nut to crack and they don’t allow you much space or to cross balls or get in behind them or find spaces in the box. We tried very hard to do that but come up against a good team. They were fourth in the league before we played them for a reason – they’re a good side.”
Reflecting on proceedings as a whole, Lindsey said he felt that there were positive and negative qualities on display.
He said, ”I’m really proud of how we played in moments of that game and we’re getting there. But I want us to be braver. I want us to really step forward. When you go 1-0 up, go get another one, do you know what I mean? We looked a little bit nervy and wanted to defend that 1-0 but I didn’t. I wanted to step forward.”
He also said, “It’s an improvement from this performance today. I liked lots of today and it’s a work in progress. I’m new in the job and it’s a new squad in many ways, so it’s a work in progress. We played against a good side today and there were moments when they looked good and we looked good.”
The Met Office have issued yellow weather warnings for southern England on New Year’s Day, with the area including around Milton Keynes expected to experience strong wind.
The warning for southern England is in place between midnight and 3pm on New Year’s Day tomorrow.
Weather warnings do not include New Year’s Eve itself, although today’s forecast (31/12/24) is for strong winds for most of the day in excess of 40mph.
A period of unsettled weather is having effects elsewhere in the UK, with planned New Year’s celebrations, street parties and fireworks in Edinburgh cancelled and doubts raised over the annual New Year’s firework display in London, although at present it is still scheduled to go ahead.
Discussing the New Year’s Day system, the Met Office said, “Strong southwesterly winds are expected overnight and during Wednesday. The strongest winds are expected across coastal regions in the west and south of the warning area, where gusts of 65-75 mph are possible.
“Inland, highest gusts will typically be between 45 and 55 mph, but possibly 60 mph in places, particularly in association with the passage of squally cold front which will bring a band of heavy rain southwards. The wind is expected to ease quickly from the north through the course of the day as this cold front passes.”
Guidance issued for yellow weather warnings for wind includes notes that there is a small chance of longer journey times or cancellations as road, rail, air and ferry services are affected, that there is a slight chance of some damage to buildings, such as tiles blown from roofs, and that there is a slight chance that power cuts may occur, with the potential to affect other services, such as mobile phone coverage.
In addition, there is a small chance that injuries and danger to life could occur from large waves and beach material being thrown onto sea fronts, coastal roads and properties, while there is also a small chance of injuries and danger to life from flying debris, and a small chance that some roads and bridges could close.
The weather is forecast to change rapidly when the storm front passes. From January 2nd, temperatures are forecast to plummet, going from over 10 degrees C down to around 3, with negative overnight temperatures and icy roads anticipated.
Northampton Town picked up their first point under new boss Kevin Nolan with a 1-1 draw at Shrewsbury in their final game of 2024.
The Cobblers had fallen behind through a goal by one-time Northampton defender Aaron Pierre, but a quick equaliser by Cameron McGeehan saw the visitors take a point on their trip to Shropshire.
A point was enough for Northampton to rise up a place in the league table, with the club jumping above Bristol Rovers after the latter lost 3-0 at Stevenage.
Northampton now sit 19th in the table and two points above the relegation zone in the third tier, albeit having played a game more than the teams below them in the table.
The first half saw Jon Guthrie head over early on before Shrewsbury came close when George Lloyd saw a strike deflected over.
Samy Chouchane would see an effort go wide of the mark, before two great chances came the Cobblers’ way as McGeehan and Aaron McGowan had shots cleared off the line in quick succession.
Shrewsbury would take the lead in the contest on the hour mark. The Shrews saw former Cobbler John Marquis have a strike denied by Nik Tzanev, but Pierre popped up from the back converted from close range.
Northampton would only be behind for three minutes, however. Chouchane’s cross into the box fell kindly for McGeehan, who glanced a header into the back of the net.
Tzanev made a firm stop to deny Josh Kayode, but despite the game having nine minutes of stoppage time, play ultimately fizzled out as the two sides settled for a point apiece from their relegation six pointer.
Northampton’s first home game with Nolan in charge will come next, with the Cobblers welcoming Stevenage to Sixfields on New Year’s Day.
