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Avanti train guards have voted for strike action over rest-day working.
Members of the RMT union voted overwhelmingly in favour of industrial action, with over 98 per cent of voters supporting the move.
No dates have been confirmed for the proposed action as yet.
Train guards typically work a four-day week, but staff shortages mean that the offer of rest-day shifts is common.
An Avanti West Coast spokesperson told The Independent: “We don’t want to see any disruption to our services which will affect our customers' plans over the holiday season.
“We remain open to talks with RMT to find a mutual resolution to this dispute.”
An RMT spokesperson told The Independent: “Our members have voted to give themselves an industrial action mandate and we will now seek further talks and work towards an agreement with the company.”
The news follows the awarding of a £300 daily bonus to CrossCountry train guards who agree to work on a Saturday.
Former Transport Secretary Louise Haigh, who stepped down this morning, signed off the deal with the West Midlands operator in September in a bid to avoid Saturday strike action.
Avanti, which is the primary long-distance operator along the west coast of the UK, connects London to Birmingham, Manchester, Liverpool and Glasgow.
The company has faced criticism for its poor performance, delays and cancellations, with figures from the Office of Rail and Road revealing that only 46.3 per cent of its trains ran on time between July and September 2023.
A year ago, it had the worst reliability record of 24 operators in Britain.
Speaking earlier this week, Avanti’s managing director, Andy Mellors, insisted the firm was “making progress” when it came to performance, adding that there was “still more to do”.
He told the PA news agency the company must maintain a “laser focus” on delivering “the timetable that we promise to customers”.