CROSS-BORDER train services have been slashed because of an "unofficial strike action" by drivers.
Avanti West Coast, which connects London to Scotland and the north of England, has also suspended ticket sales.
The train operator said it would run as few as four trains an hour from Sunday in an effort to stop short-notice cancellations that have plagued its operations in recent weeks. It usually operates up to seven an hour.
A row has erupted as the operator said the reduced timetable is "due to the current industrial relations climate which has resulted in severe staff shortages in some grades through increased sickness levels, as well as unofficial strike action by Aslef members."
The Aslef union disputes the term "unofficial strike action", saying the company did not employ enough train drivers to deliver its services.
Similar issues surfaced within newly nationalised ScotRail, which had to produced an emergency timetable which cut services by up to half for two months as drivers refused to work rest days and Sundays, which is crucial to keep trains running.
Aslef said of the 'unofficial strike action' allegation: "This is a lie. Our members are not taking any unofficial action, and we are not stopping anyone working. This rubbish puts our members at risk of abuse and assault.
"Sunday forming part of the working week has been Aslef policy for decades. If you want a reliable seven day a week service: Employ. Enough. Train. Drivers."
The company said: “We plan to run four trains an hour from London Euston — one to each of Glasgow, Liverpool, Manchester and Birmingham. Every two hours, we will run through to Edinburgh via the West Midlands.”
The limited timetable will be in place “until further notice”, Avanti West Coast said.
The company has also suspended ticket sales for travel from Sunday until September 11 while the new schedule is finalised to minimise the number of people disrupted.
It expects tickets for the first week of that period to be back on sale by the end of this week.
Tickets for the following weeks will be released on a rolling, weekly basis.
In a letter to the rail industry Avanti West Coast managing director Phil Whittingham wrote that the “current industrial relations climate” has resulted in “severe staff shortages in some grades through increased sickness levels, as well as unofficial strike action by Aslef members”.
He explained that the operator normally ran around 400 trains per week with drivers voluntarily working on their rest days – for extra pay – but that has “dropped suddenly to fewer than 50”.
Mr Whittingham wrote that the previous level of rest day working is “necessary” while more than 250 new drivers are recruited and trained.
He went on: “The reduced timetable is being introduced to ensure a reliable service is delivered so our customers can travel with greater certainty.
“This decision was not taken lightly, and we are sorry for the enormous frustration and inconvenience this will cause.
In a statement published on Avanti's website the firm said: "As a result, including the majority of drivers declaring themselves unavailable for overtime, our customers have faced multiple short-notice cancellations on our network which has had a severe impact on their plans.
"The reduced timetable is being introduced to ensure a reliable service is delivered so our customers can travel with greater certainty. This decision was not taken lightly, and we are sorry for the enormous frustration and inconvenience this will cause.
"We urge the rail unions to engage in meaningful industry reform talks around modernising working practices and developing a railway fit for the 21st century. We remain open for talks at any time.
"Whilst the new timetable is finalised, we’ve temporarily suspended ticket sales and closed reservations from August 14 to September 11 – this is to minimise the number of people disrupted.
"We expect the first week’s tickets to be back on sale towards the end of this week, then the following weeks on a rolling, weekly basis.
"We plan to run four trains an hour from London Euston, one to each of Glasgow, Liverpool, Manchester and Birmingham. Every two hours, we will run through to Edinburgh, via the West Midlands. There will be a shuttle service between Crewe and Holyhead, plus a limited through service between Euston and Chester of one a day.
"This amended timetable will be in place until further notice, and we will continue to monitor and review the situation.
"If you’ve already booked to travel with us from August 14 onwards and your train is cancelled, your ticket will be accepted on the Avanti West Coast service before or after your original booked train.
Mr Whittingham urged rail unions to “engage in meaningful industry reform talks around modernising working practices and developing a railway fit for the 21st century”.
He added that the industry “remains open for talks at any time”.
Aslef has insisted that its members at Avanti West Coast are not involved in strike action before a walkout on Saturday in a long-running dispute over pay and conditions.
Drivers at eight other train companies will also strike on Saturday - in moves that will cripple cross-border services.
They are CrossCountry, Greater Anglia, Great Western, Hull Trains, LNER, London Overground, Southeastern and West Midlands Trains.
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