Rail bosses will add 'relief trains' to help curb the impact of a reduced rail timetable between Manchester and London.
27.08.2022 - 10:15 / manchestereveningnews.co.uk
A Manchester woman who was forced to travel to Piccadilly station and buy a train ticket to London in person after Avanti services were marked as 'sold out' online has blasted rail bosses.
Freelance makeup artist Tally Bookbinder spent a week trying to book a ticket online for the late train between Manchester to London so she could attend her friend's wedding ceremony and make her work commitments the following morning.
But despite being told tickets should have been released, she was unable to book online and instead made the journey to Manchester Piccadilly - only to spend £98 on a return ticket for no specific train, with no reserved seat.
READ MORE: Why have Manchester-London rail services been cut to the bone?
Avanti West Coast apologised for the 'inconvenience', and said they are 'trying to give customers as much information as possible'. But for Tally, the service simply isn't good enough.
"It is absolutely bloody ridiculous that I've had to come all the way into Manchester to do something you can usually do online," she told the Manchester Evening News.
"But what can you do? Your hands are tied - I either had to go down to the station or sit at home and keep refreshing the page."
Avanti West Coast are currently running one service an hour between London and Manchester after stripping back services 'until further notice'. The company blames its decision on "unofficial strike action" by the train drivers union ASLEF - but has attracted criticism from Mayor Andy Burnham, as well as London Mayor Sadiq Khan, who called the decision 'disingenuous'.
She said the knock-on effect of having to wait so long to book her train has meant that hotels in London have got vastly more expensive - but she is reluctant to book
Rail bosses will add 'relief trains' to help curb the impact of a reduced rail timetable between Manchester and London.
Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham has questioned whether Avanti West Coast is equipped to deliver services to people wishing to pay their respects to the Queen. His latest attack comes less than two weeks after he said the company was in "the last chance saloon".
Former Stockport council leader Elise Wilson has announced she will not be standing for re-election next year. Coun Wilson, who still heads up the Labour group, plans to step down in May after completing nine years at the town hall - including three as leader of the council.
Campaigners and politicians in Greater Manchester have reacted with anger after Liz Truss announced she was to allow fracking to return to the UK. The PM has scrapped a 2019 ban on the fossil fuel extraction process as part of a wider energy bills strategy.
The start of September has seen newly capped bus fares introduced in Greater Manchester as part of a plan to revolutionise public transport across the city.
Slashing and simplifying bus fares is the 'first step' towards a better public transport system, Andy Burnham has said as lower ticket prices are launched. From Sunday (September 4), single fares are £2 for adults and £1 for children while a day ticket for all buses across Greater Manchester will now cost £5.
As the cost of living, fuel prices and the damage caused by air pollution spiral upwards, public transport needs now more than ever to be accessible, affordable and efficient for passengers. Even before the pandemic, this was a refrain repeated often by leaders in Greater Manchester.
Today sees the start of a revolution for buses in Greater Manchester. Single fares will be capped at £2 for adults and £1 for children while day tickets which can be used on all bus services across the city-region will only cost £5.
The managing director of under-fire train operator Avanti West Coast has stepped down from his role, it was confirmed tonight. Phil Whittingham will leave his position on September 15 to 'pursue other executive leadership opportunities'.
The leader of Rochdale council has urged the government to ensure every area of the country is taking in its fair share of asylum seekers, claiming the current policy ‘continues to disproportionately affect' the borough. Councillor Neil Emmott’s angry letter to the home secretary comes after migrants were recently moved into hotels in the borough against the council’s wishes.
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After teaming up with Our Pass, young people and their families and friends are getting a chance to see the final game of this seasons The Hundred for free on Wednesday, August 31 when Manchester Originals play Oval Invincibles.
Andy Burnham has said he would join a picket line as he urged politicians to 'get round the table' and find a solution to the cost of living crisis that's gripping the nation.
A woman who dropped to five stone during her anorexia battle could soon be crowned Miss England.
Both of the candidates to replace Boris Johnson as Prime Minister launched stinging attacks on Andy Burnham during a hustings event in the city tonight (Friday)
The boss of scandal-hit train firm Avanti's parent company has been awarded a £1m share bonus while passengers suffer chaos on the railways and strikes continue, it's been revealed.
Work will begin on a new CYCLOPS junction in South Manchester next week. The busy Brooks Bar junction in Whalley Range, sees five lanes of traffic crossing and is a route into many areas south of the city.
Rishi Sunak has accused Andy Burnham of 'failing' to get a grip on crime in Greater Manchester - and has pledged to give councillors greater powers to hold mayors to account if he wins the race to Number 10. The comments come as Mr Sunak, who is trailing rival Liz Truss in the polls, heads to Manchester for a Tory hustings event on Friday.
Manchester City footballer Benjamin Mendy said ”It’s fine, I have had sex with 10,000 women” after allegedly raping a woman three times in his “locked” bedroom, a court heard.