Virgin Trains booking office workers have gone on a 24-hour strike to protest shorter window opening times and potential cutbacks.

Virgin Trains booking office staff have gone on a 24-hour strike on one of Britain’s busiest rail lines, in protest of the company’s planned cutbacks.

The 24-hour strike began at midnight (4 January) and will affect 12 West Coast Main Line stations between Euston and Glasgow, with Coventry, Wolverhampton and Preston among the worst hit.

The strike of around 200 members of the Transport Salaried Staffs’ Association (TSSA) is likely to cause consternation to many rail users who will have to depend on buying tickets from the more expensive ticket machines.

The union had already delayed the strike so that the holiday season was not disrupted for travellers.

Virgin has advised passengers to buy tickets and collect them in advance. Train services will still be running.

The TSSA called the strike to protest planned cutbacks of booking office window openings.

Gerry Doherty, Union Leader, said: “This is all about defending a vital rail service to rail passengers who are already being ripped off with the most expensive fares in Europe.

“After raising any time fares by 6% at the weekend, Sir Richard [Branson] is now charging £262 return for a second class fare between Euston and Manchester. Now he wants to stop customers buying cheaper off-peak tickets by cutting back on off-peak travel times and closing more booking office windows.”

According to the BBC, a Virgin Trains spokesman said: “There will be no passengers who miss their trains as a result of the strike. If queues start to build, we will give customers permission to get on trains and buy tickets on board.”