Avanti West Coast has announced it will be cutting services between Manchester and London throughout December.
In a move that the rail operator has assured customers is only a pre-emptive “temporary measure”, and one that has been owed to preparation for potential staff shortages, Avanti has confirmed that its timetable will be reduced in the run-up to Christmas – with changes set to impact Greater Manchester.
The changes will affect trains running between Manchester and London, as well as North Wales, Blackpool, and the West Midlands, the company has confirmed.
The December timetable cuts are a pre-emptive move for a period when drivers’ holiday requests and sickness are expected to be highest, and are services on which
Tickets for the services at-risk of being cut are yet to be sold.
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Addressing the timetable cuts, an Avanti spokesperson said: “From 9 December to 31 December we will be removing a small number of services from our timetable, to enable us to run a more reliable service for our customers, and minimise unplanned, short-notice cancellations.
“This is a temporary measure, and we’re sorry for any inconvenience to our customers.”
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Avanti West Coast to cut services between Manchester and London in run-up to Christmas / Credit: Avanti
The announcement that services are between Manchester and the capital are to be cut during one of the busiest times of the year comes after Avanti was controversially awarded a long-term contract to operate the West Coast Main Line a couple of weeks back.
Before this, the company had previously been given until 1 April 2023 to continue running the route from London to Glasgow, but had been told that it needed to “drastically improve” its services if it was to stand any chance of having the contract extended further beyond that date, due to its chaotic past since taking over from Virgin in December 2019.
Despite many customers still expressing discontent with level of services during this time, the Department for Transport (DfT) still went on to award Avanti another six-month contract extension from the start of April onwards, after it deemed “significant improvements had been made since October”.
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Following DfT reviews, once again, Avanti’s long-term contract to operate the line was subsequently awarded in mid-September.
Timetable cuts come after the company was awarded a long-term contract extension / Credit: Avanti West Coast
Mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham, has called Avanti’s slashing of services to and from the city-region in the run-up to Christmas a “kick in the teeth”, especially after the company had been handed the long-term contract, and also following Prime Minister Rishi Sunak‘s controversial and heavily-criticised recent decision to axe the northern leg of the new HS2 rail line between Birmingham and Manchester.
Burnham said Avanti “should have been left on probation” following the announcement.
“People in Greater Manchester deserve a stable, predictable rail service between here and London and it is simply not acceptable that, once again, it is being chopped and changed in this way,” Burnham said in a statement.
“This decision will see a significant reduction in levels of service between Manchester and London in the crucial period running up to Christmas, impacting on visitor numbers to the city and making it harder for people to get home to see their family.
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“This is no way to run a railway, and our city-region deserves so much better”.
Featured Image – Avanti
News
Tribute paid to man ‘loved by so many’ stabbed to death in Levenshulme
Daisy Jackson
The brother of a man stabbed to death in Levenshulme has paid a heartbreaking tribute to him.
Zherko Rasul Osman was just 24 years old when he was fatally wounded in an incident on Chapel Street on Saturday evening.
Despite the best efforts of emergency services personnel, Zherko sadly died at the scene.
Now, his brother has paid tribute to him, saying he was ‘someone who was loved by so many’.
The touching tribute reads: “My brother was a kind, friendly and loving person who never looked for trouble or wanted to harm anyone.
“He was loved and respected by his friends, his mates and the neighbours in the community where he lived. He had a good heart and would always be remembered for the warmth and happiness he brought to those around him.
“His life was taken so suddenly and for no reason, leaving a pain and emptiness that words cannot describe. We are heartbroken that someone who was loved by so many is no longer here. He deserved to live his life and make memories with the people he loved.
“He will never be forgotten. His smile, his kindness and the memories we shared with him will stay in our hearts forever. We love you, and we will miss you every single day.”
Zherko Rasul Osman suffered serious stab wounds on Chapel Street in Levenshulme at around 7.06pm on Saturday 15 August.
A 23-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of murder, and he remains in custody for questioning. A 27-year-old man who had also been arrested on suspicion of murder remains on bail pending further enquiries.
Officers continue to make progress as the investigation continues. It is believed this was an isolated incident with no wider threat to the public.
Police are urging anyone who may have information to please report it through the dedicated online portal HERE.
Anyone in the Chapel Street area around the time of this incident, or who has mobile phone, CCTV, Ring doorbell or dashcam footage can contact police on 0161 856 9008 quoting the log number 2983 of 15/08/2026.
Alternatively contact independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
Government launches £442m drive to get rough sleepers off streets before Christmas
Emily Sergeant
Prime Minister Andy Burnham has launched a £442m drive to get rough sleepers off the streets before Christmas.
Learning from ‘innovative’ approaches put into place during the pandemic, the Government has announced that new accommodation will be rolled out across England this winter, as well as offering practical help with housing, health, and other needs to support people to build a more stable life for themselves in the future.
The new commitment to offer everyone a route off the streets this Christmas, along with boosted funding, reflect the Andy Burnham‘s national drive to make ‘real change’ and get everyone playing their part in ending rough sleeping.
Not only will these plans change the lives of rough sleepers, but it’s also said they will have huge benefits for the country as a whole.
Research from homelessness charity Crisis suggests that by preventing 40,000 people from becoming homeless for a year, taxpayers could save around £370 million.
The Government has launched a £442m drive to get rough sleepers off the streets before Christmas / Credit: Number 10 Press Office | Jon Tyson (via Unsplash)
As well provisions to get people off the streets, and the intensive ‘wraparound’ support, the newly allocated funding will also help local areas deliver more than 1,000 ‘settled’ homes over the next three years, it has been confirmed.
Areas facing the greatest pressures will receive the largest share of support.
Working alongside councils, Mayors will play a leading role in driving local action to end rough sleeping, and will be tasked with making decisions that are right for their communities to deliver help where it’s needed most.
The Prime Minister says he ‘won’t accept’ rough sleeping any longer. He commented: “No one should have to bed down in a doorway or outside a station, but we’ve seen it for so long that it feels like Westminster has started to accept it.
“That’s why my first instruction as Prime Minister was to end rough sleeping, and it’s why today we’re getting started with a national drive to get everyone in for Christmas. We did it in the pandemic, we can do it again. But it needs all of us.
Emily Sergeant -
30th October 2023 
