AWC revises Manchester and Birmingham timetables

A revised timetable was due to be introduced by Avanti West Coast on its Manchester and Birmingham routes, after this issue of RAIL went to press.

The frequency on both routes is being cut from three trains per hour (tph) to 2tph from November 14.

The move comes as a result of the second lockdown and the subsequent advice not to travel unless necessary. AWC said there is no fixed date for how long the changes will be in force, but they are expected to continue into next year.

No other routes will be affected, with the operator planning to run roughly the same timetable it does now, albeit with the reduced Manchester and Birmingham frequency.

Northbound, AWC is removing the xx03 London EustonBirmingham New Street and xx00 London Euston-Manchester Piccadilly, while southbound the xx50 Birmingham New StreetEuston and xx35 Manchester Piccadilly-Euston have been removed.

AWC spokesman Richard Stanton said additional stops will be added to remaining services, to cover those lost from the cancelled trains. He added that passengers who had booked directly with AWC on those services will be contacted by the operator. A full refund is available for those who choose not to travel.