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
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Four rare African ducklings have been hatched at Chester Zoo for the very first time
Danny Jones
More conversation celebration down the road at Chester Zoo, as the award-winning wildlife park has welcomed four African ducklings who belong to a rare breed.
As is so often the case with the work they do all year-round, their arrival could help signal the species’ survival in the long run, whose status was sadly upgraded from vulnerable to endangered on the official IUCN Red List.
The particular type of fowl we’re referring to is the Maccao duck, a stiff-tailed bird that typically belongs to the fresh and brackish inland waters of Eastern and Southern Africa.
Medium-sized, chunky, with big bills and subtle striping around their heads, they’re gorgeous creatures as is, but especially so as ducklings…
If you didn’t say ‘awww’ out loud, then you’re just lying.
As the Zoo itself put it, they are “rare, fluffy and VERY cute.” Celebrating what is “a breeding breakthrough for one of Africa’s rarest ducks […] so these little guys are kind of a big deal.”
These little delightful little duckies are known for diving down to the bottom of lakes and riverbeds to forage for aquatic invertebrates and plants; in fact, given the choice, they tend to prefer going underwater over flying pretty much full-stop.
As a resident species that doesn’t migrate like many other birds, they are native to nations like Namibia, Zimbabwe and Ethiopia. They’re identifiable by their dark black heads, blue bills (among the males, at least) and presence within the wetlands.
However, their estimated numbers continue to drop, and unfortunately, just 14 of their kind currently remain in Kenya and only 100 in Tanzania, with fewer than 5,000 believed to be left across the entire African continent.
Not only is this the first time the species has ever been successfully bred by bird experts at Chester Zoo, but conservationists hope ducklings will put a spotlight on the threatened species.
Their scientific name is ‘Oxyura maccoa’.Just like human babies, they prone to stuff all over their face.As far as ducklings go, these adorable little African variants are pretty special. (Credit: Supplied)
The zoo’s Head of Birds, Andrew Owen, said of their birth: “As one of just seven zoos in Europe – and 12 zoos globally – that care for Maccoa ducks, these ducklings are very special as they’re the first of their kind to ever hatch here at the zoo – making it a really historic moment for our team,
“This success gives a real boost to the future of the species, and these vital new additions will contribute to the safety-net population in zoos. These birds are facing rapid decline in the wild, so every hatchling really does count.
“To see them now out on the water inside our new Heart of Africa habitat, which is dedicated to helping Africa’s most threatened species thrive, makes this milestone even more special.”
Nothing short of brilliant news, we’re sure you’ll agree; better still, in addition to the crucially charitable and conversation-based tourist attraction being named one of England’s most popular destinations once again, but these are the only rare birds welcome by the zookeepers this month.
Vogue’s immersive ‘Inventing the Runway’ show is coming to Manchester
Thomas Melia
A Vogue immersive show titled ‘Inventing the Runway’ is coming to Manchester, and it’s even co-created by Anna Wintour herself.
Ever fancied learning more about the fashion world? Well, now’s your chance to hear everything you need to know from global fashion leaders and lifestyle magazine Vogue.
The Anna Wintour-approved immersive experience comes alongside the announcement of Factory International‘s Winter lineup, which features another new event all about voyaging to the moon.
This Vogue-fronted experience will incorporate interviews, visual media and more to help attendees visualise fashion shows of the past, present and future.
As well as understanding how fashion shows became the pinnacle of a designer’s vision, this runway-themed display also includes looking back at iconic moments of fashion and pop culture.
‘Inventing the Runway’ by Vogue is focusing on outfits worn by models and A-listers alike, with narration from the one and only Cate Blanchett.
You can expect to see curated pieces by significant creative minds in fashion history like Alexander McQueen, Balenciaga, Stella McCartney, Vivienne Westwood and lots more.
Throughout the Vogue experience, as well as coming visually face to face with fashion, you will also hear a soundscape that perfectly reflects this innovative industry with a fusion of classical and pop music.
This fashion exhibition uses the same Lightroom technology behind the impressive David Hockney experience that opened back in December.
Vogue is using this show to honour anyone who has made an impact in the fashion world.The Met Gala has become a staple in everyone’s calendar year in and year out.First Northern Quarter’s Chanel show, now this… Très chic. (Credit: Wikimedia Commons/GoodFon)
Anna Wintour, Chief Content Officer, Condé Nast, and Global Editorial Director, Vogue said: “At Vogue, we’ve been lucky enough over the decades to see many incredible runway shows, which have often told the story of fashion as much as the clothes themselves.”
“This Lightroom experience is a wonderful opportunity for a lot more people to experience first-hand the thrill of watching the history of fashion unfold right in front of them.”
You can experience Vogue’s ‘Inventing the Runway’ immersive show from 18 December to 10 January when it visits Aviva Studios this winter.
Find out more information and grab your tickets HERE.
Emily Sergeant -
30th October 2023 
