Anyone know what avanti trains are like atm?

[WamBamBrambleJam]

I'm supposed to be travelling from London to Manchester next weekend with ds 4 months. Tickets are currently unavailable to book for the Saturday and Sunday (ongoing avanti shitshow) so I’m thinking of travelling up on the Friday eve and getting an open return to travel back down on the Sunday. Does anyone know if trains are likely to run next weekend, even if I still can’t book tickets? Also does anyone have any thoughts on how chaotic / busy any services that do run might be? I don’t mind standing by the doors with ds in pram, but I do mind the prospect of being jammed in like a sardine! Tia

DP and I get avanti trains from the NW going south for work v regularly (unfortunately).

There is usually space on the train.

But there are almost always delays and cancellations. This is my biggest issue. I will book on other operators services like west Midland If this is an option- Even if the journey time is longer on paper, it usually isn't in reality as avanti are usually late or cancelled so I miss my connecting trains.

And booking is a nightmare as they don't seem to open up the bookings- if at all - until v late on.

Be careful OP Avanti are saying on their Facebook page there are engineering works next weekend. Not that they've bothered to tell passengers what that actually means for the timetable.

They are still awful, less awful than last summer but only because they've taken so many services out of the timetable.

I doubt you'd be crammed in or standing, everyone tries to avoid them so they aren't overcrowded.

My son travelled from Euston to Manchester P and back yesterday, so I was monitoring the live departures online. About half of them were cancelled, but not his, thankfully. The Avanti website also has a list of cancelled services, but they probably won't know until the day itself.

I booked his ticket just a few days ahead, on Mon or Tues at a reasonable price, so it wasn't heavily booked.

And I certainly wouldn't be paying them for an open return. If they cancel whatever you manage to book you can get on the next one using that ticket. If that means no seat go and sit in first class.

Agree with @LiverBurd that your worst case scenario if Avanti cancel is a Transport for Wales (which will be crowded) to Crewe to pick up a London NorthWestern service. Takes longer but reliable service.

Thanks all for your help! @PatChaunceysFruitCake good advice about the open return. I want to stick with avanti if poss to minimise length of journey with potentially grumpy baby in tow, although @LiverBurd good to know it’s easy to switch to e mids line. Think I’ll wait until mon / tues and see if I can book two single tickets, sounds like a good shout based on replies

Engineering work between Manchester & Stockport today so it's rail replacement buses. It's taking over 4 hours to get back later on today.

If you book them with Avanti at the same time even as 2 singles they are a "return" which means if the outbound get cancelled then you get a refund for both.

Also direct through Avanti sign up for the delay repay and you get an automatic refund when they are delayed and cancelled.

Good luck truly a shitshow at the moment but not as bad as northern!

@Svalberg my youngest is caught up in the fact Piccadilly is shut today for roof works so it's a bus replacement service. Stockport service is so bad on a Sunday she now gets the bus into Piccadilly as so often there would be 2-3 hours between her trains at Hazel Grove.

@RandomMess Ah, we were told it was engineering works, not specifically the roof. We've had to do the journey to Crewe to pick up the Glasgow train a few times recently due to last minute Avanti cancellations. The reduction from 3 trains an hour to 1 is massively annoying if that 1 then gets cancelled.

Friday morning, was travelling on another train operator's service from London Euston to Northampton.

Whilst waiting for my train (on time both ways), two of six (or seven?) Avanti services were cancelled, and two were only boarding about two minutes before departure so I assume were late in the end.

We found out by accident as it was on the local news in passing Tuesday I think.

Not sure which route will choose. Bus Piccadilly to Preston (takes for bloody ever) or Victoria to Salford to somewhere else then Preston

🙄

sorry to all of you who have had to navigate this ridiculous system, especially those of you who have to do it often!

I’m a regular Avanti user. Sunday is invariably a shit show - packed trains, toilets out of use, no catering onboard. I agree that you should get to Crewe so that you have more options. The pro is that I usually get refunded for the ticket (but, that’s not an incentive when you a have a baby traveling with you). I find things to be better on weekdays.

Were looking to do a similar journey in April. What happens if the avanti service is cancelled? Are you able to just get on an service to London or do you have to wait for the next Avanti? We're fairly lucky that we can book from crewe with only one connection needed, the avanti service would be direct for us though.

Actually I don't travel on Sunday mainly because there aren't any fast trains, I'd forgotten all the other "badness" added to it. I use annual leave and travel on a weekday instead.

I'm on that route at least once a week with work. I second what everyone else has said. I came back on Thursday evening this week on a direct train and it was an hour late but at least had food and drink on it. Over the last few months I've experienced cancellations, zero catering (not even water available to buy), early termination at Crewe and then connections cancelled, and recently there's that replacement bus service between Stockport and Manchester. In terms of seating you can upgrade to standard premium on the train for £25 pp if that could help you be more comfortable if the train is packed. I've also had journeys that have gone entirely as planned, so it really is pot luck. Good luck!