Avanti West Coast to increase services in December after cutting timetables

The train company cut its timetables after a sharp decline in the drivers voluntarily working on rest days for extra pay Credit: PA images

Avanti West Coast is to increase its services after a shortage of drivers led the train operator to drastically cut their timetables.

The company said it will run extra trains on its key London-Manchester and London-Birmingham routes from Tuesday, 27 September.

Services will be boosted again in December once new drivers complete training.

Avanti West Coast reduced its timetable from seven trains per hour to just four per hour from 14 August.

This was aimed at cutting short-notice cancellations after a sharp decline in the number of drivers voluntarily working on rest days for extra pay.

Avanti West Coast is one of many train operators engaged in an industrial dispute with its workers. Credit: PA images

Journeys between Manchester and London Euston were the worst affected by the cut, with train frequencies reduced from three per hour to just one.

Avanti has been highly criticised by Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham who accused the company of "serious management failure".

The managing director stepped down on at the end of August due to the ongoing row over the reduced schedule and dispute with workers.

Phil Whittingham said he was leaving the role from on 15 September to "pursue other executive leadership opportunities".

The company is one of several UK train operators engaged in an industrial dispute with its workers.