New Year's Eve: Strike and Covid set to disrupt trains

CrossCountry said trains would not run between a number of locations in England, Scotland and Wales

Train passengers are being advised to alter their New Year's Eve plans due to a planned strike.

CrossCountry has cancelled services across England, Scotland and Wales and will be operating a "very limited timetable" on other routes.

It follows travel disruption caused by a strike on Christmas Eve.

The RMT union said train managers and senior conductors voted for action as they felt the firm was trying to undermine the role of train guards.

Southern has also announced none of its trains will run to or from London Victoria until 10 January due to "coronavirus isolation and sickness".

Mick Lynch, the general secretary of the RMT, said the travel disruption "could have been avoided"

On Friday CrossCountry will not be running any services between:

• Aberdeen and Edinburgh

• Glasgow Central and Edinburgh

• Derby and Nottingham

• Peterborough and Stansted

• Cheltenham Spa and Cardiff Central

• Newton Abbot and Paignton

• Plymouth and Penzance

A heavily reduced service will run between:

• Edinburgh and Plymouth

• Manchester Piccadilly and Bournemouth

• Birmingham New Street and Peterborough (a supplementary bus replacement will run between Leicester and Peterborough)

Mick Lynch, general secretary of the National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers (RMT) said the travel disruption "could have been avoided" if rail companies had taken staff grievances seriously.

He said members were "standing up for all rail workers in their New Year's Eve action".

He said Gate Gourmet staff at Edinburgh Waverley station were also due to strike on Friday as part of a long-running dispute over allegations of bullying.

CrossCountry said: "We are advising customers to alter their plans where possible and to avoid travel on Friday 31 December.

"We recommend you check your journey before you travel by using National Rail Enquiries."

A Gate Gourmet spokesperson said the company did not "tolerate" bullying or harassment.

They added the industrial action was "a legacy matter brought by a small number of staff who joined us via transfer on 19 September 2021".