Avanti West Coast boss fired after timetable failures

Intercity train operator provoked fury last month after slashing services between London and Manchester

One of Britain's major intercity train operators, Avanti West Coast, has parted company with its boss a month after the company admitted it was unable to run its timetabled services.

Avanti announced that its managing director, Phil Whittingham, had decided to step down, with effect from 15 September, the date when the next in a series of strikes will further afflict its operations.