Liverpool fans could face Carabao Cup final travel chaos

Liverpool fans will be hoping to head to Wembley for the Carabao Cup Final
-Credit:Ian Tuttle/REX/Shutterstock


Liverpool fans could be caught up in transport chaos if the Reds make it to the Carabao Cup Final next month.

LFC face Tottenham Hotspur at Anfield tomorrow night (Thursday) in the second leg of the league cup semi-final. The Reds will be hoping to overturn a one-goal deficit from the first leg and book their place in the Wembley showpiece final, which takes place on Sunday, March 16.

If they do that, however, it could lead to travel headaches for fans looking to make the trip down to London. That's because of ongoing Sunday rail strikes on the Avanti West Coast service that carries passengers between Liverpool and the capital.

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The Rail and Maritime Transport (RMT) workers union are scheduled to continue with strike action on Avanti West Coast services every Sunday until May. Managers for Avanti began the walkout campaign on Sunday January 12 in a dispute over rest day working.

There was hope that the action may be called off after two of the strike days were suspended in January ahead of talks - but they have now resumed. The strikes mean that Avanti will be running one train per hour between London Euston and each of Birmingham, Manchester and Preston - with a limited service extending to Glasgow. There will also be an hourly shuttle service between Liverpool and Crewe.

When attempting to search on the Avanti website for tickets between Liverpool Lime Street and London Euston on Sunday March 16, the day of the final, you are met with a notice that states: "We've suspended Avanti West Coast ticket sales for this date to minimise the number of people disrupted by RMT strike action."

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A further statement on the site states: "The RMT union has announced strike action affecting Avanti West Coast on Sundays from 12 January to 25 May 2025. On these dates, our timetables and operating hours will be significantly reduced and trains that do run are expected to be busy.

"To minimise the number of people disrupted, we suspend ticket sales for strike days as soon as they're announced. We expect online journey planners to correctly show our amended strike timetable and our tickets to go back on sale by the Monday before the Sunday strike action."

"For Sunday strike dates further into the future, we’ll let you know your ticket options, travel advice and timetable information as soon as possible. Please continue to check our website for updates. We’re disappointed with this industrial action, and we are sorry for the inconvenience it will cause."

Explaining the reasons for the strike action, outgoing RMT general secretary Mick Lynch said: "Avanti West Coast created this dispute by ignoring train managers' concerns and presenting offers those members deemed unacceptable.

"The company must come forward with a revised proposal so we can avoid more strike action further into 2025."

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Kathryn O'Brien, Avanti's executive director of customer experience, previously said: "We're disappointed by the RMT calling strike action for an extended period when our customers may be working, visiting family and friends, or enjoying days out. As a result, they will face significantly disrupted journeys during this time.

"I would like to thank them for their patience and understanding. On the strike days, we'll have a reduced service, so customers with tickets for those days are strongly advised to travel on alternative dates or claim a full fee-free refund. We remain open to working with the RMT to resolve the dispute."