Posts

Dave

£117m investment in refurbished Pendolinos

/in /by

Avanti West Coast’s first refurbished Pendolino has returned to service after being transformed as part of the UK’s biggest train upgrade.

The tilting, electric powered Pendolinos are among the most iconic trains in the UK, and transformed train travel between some of Britain’s biggest cities when they were introduced nearly two decades ago.

Customers onboard a recent 05:05 service from Manchester Piccadilly to London were the first to travel on the upgraded Pendolino. They experienced the new, more comfortable seats, a revamped shop and better on-board customer information.

After reaching London, the refurbished train made a quick round trip to Liverpool before being welcomed into Euston by invited guests and Avanti West Coast colleagues. It will visit other destinations such as Birmingham, the Lakes, Glasgow and Edinburgh during its normal course of work.

Rail Minister Wendy Morton said,

The iconic Pendolino is back and better than ever before. This refurbished version of the classic fleet is a fantastic example of our cutting-edge rail network and how our railways are leading the way in creating a cleaner, more environmentally friendly and modern transport system.

The £117m upgrade programme was two years in the making and involved experts in technology, customer information and ergonomics.

Customer improvements include:

  • 25,000 new, ergonomic Standard Class seats
  • Conversion of one First Class carriage on each of the 35 eleven-carriage Pendolinos to provide more than 2,000 extra Standard Class seats
  • The introduction of a new onboard shop
  • Improved lighting and new interior carpets
  • Greater use of technology with customer-friendly passenger information screens
  • Additional luggage space in Standard Class
  • Power points at every seat
  • New carpets throughout using sustainable British wool
  • Refurbished toilets
  • New First and Standard Premium seats
Widely regarded as the UK’s ‘hardest working train fleet’, Pendolinos have served towns and cities along the West Coast Main Line for nearly twenty years, clocking up more than 270 million miles – enough to go to the moon and back more than 500 times.

Managing Director of Avanti West Coast, Phil Whittingham, said:

This investment has been one of the key promises to our customers and they will see a dramatic transformation of our well-loved fleet. The refurbished Pendolinos look and feel like new trains with state of the art technology as well as brand new seats that promise best-in-class comfort.

The remaining 55 trains are to receive the same treatment as part of the £117m programme with the second set due back in service early in May 2022. Rail manufacturer Alstom is undertaking the work at their new depot in Widnes in the North West, helping to secure 100 skilled jobs.

Peter Broadley, Managing Director Services, Alstom said:

We are delighted with the launch of the newly modernised Pendolino. Working closely with our partners at Avanti West Coast and Angel Trains, we have created something truly special for the customers travelling on the West Coast Mainline. Our team at Widnes have created something amazing and we are incredibly proud of the final product. We hope it secures the future of the Pendolinos on the West Coast for many years to come.

The newly refurbished Pendolinos offer a range of new, comfortable and useful services. From top left – Standard Premium seating; wireless charging points; water dispensers; table power options; passenger information screens; onboard shop
From top left – seat occupancy information; seat occupancy cameras; First class seating; at-seat power sockets


Dave

Avanti West Coast introduces Standard Premium class

/in /by

Avanti West Coast is set to ‘transform UK rail travel’ with the launch of a new Standard Premium class.

  • Avanti West Coast is the first UK rail operator to offer the new class
  • The new product has been introduced after successful trial and research with customers
  • This move is intended to complement an enhanced First Class offering and the refurbishment of the Pendolino fleet

Avanti West Coast has become the first UK train operating company to offer an additional class of travel as part of its services.

Standard Premium will give customers greater choice and is available on all the West Coast Main Line operator’s Pendolino services.


Avanti West Coast operates a fleet of 56 Pendolinos, 31 of which are 11 carriages.

Sitting between Standard and First, customers will enjoy roomier seats, greater space and a guaranteed table. They will also have the option to purchase refreshments via the new ‘At-Seat Order’ feature where customers can have items delivered to them without moving from their seat. The new class is initially available to buy as an upgrade on the day of travel, with Advance purchase tickets on sale from July for travel from September. Single journey upgrade prices range from £15 for Birmingham to London to £30 for Glasgow to London.

Standard Premium was developed following initial market research and then successful trials last year and more recently, with customers taking part in the trials asked to rate their experiences and help shape the new product. Figures showed 96% of respondents said they were either “highly likely” or “likely” to upgrade to Standard Premium for future journeys, citing extra space as a key benefit.

As part of further improvements, Avanti West Coast will launch an enhanced First Class offering with improved catering and more bespoke customer service later this year, with the enhanced service available seven days a week.

Work is also due to start next month to fully refurbish the entire Pendolino fleet of 56 trains as part of a £117m deal signed with Alstom who maintain the operator’s fleet.

New seats, with leather headrests, will be installed in Standard Premium and First. All 25,000 Standard seats will be also be replaced, with customers also benefiting from a new look onboard shop, as part of the biggest ever fleet upgrade. 

In addition, one carriage on all 11-coach Pendolinos (the existing Coach G), will be converted from First to Standard, increasing each train’s seating capacity by 5%. The first refurbished set is due to enter service in November 2021.

Phil Whittingham, Manager Director at Avanti West Coast said,

This is the first major step in our transformation of services on the West Coast. Together with our upcoming First Class service which will lead the industry, and the complete refurbishment of the Pendolino fleet, Standard Premium will set a new benchmark for UK rail travel.

Our new class of travel will offer greater choice and provide a unique offer which meets customers’ changing needs as they return to rail. This new feature is another step in raising the bar for excellence on the railway.

Avanti West Coast has recently introduced At-Seat Order for Standard Class passengers

‘At Seat’ service on Avanti West Coast Main Line trains
Dave

‘At Seat’ service on Avanti West Coast Main Line trains

/in /by

Avanti West Coast has rolled out a new service across its UK network where customers can have food and drink delivered to their seat.

Introduced on trains operating across the West Coast Main Line, this new feature follows a successful trial onboard last year.

Whilst customers in First Class have always enjoyed being served at their seat, this will enable customers in Standard to order refreshments and have it delivered to them.


Customers in Standard can now order food and drink delivered to their seat

Known as At-Seat Order, this additional customer benefit has been introduced across services on Avanti West Coast’s routes. Customers can log on to the onboard Wi-Fi using their mobile phone, tablet or laptop and then visit the dedicated page in their browser to choose their items.

Payment is through debit or credit cards and PayPal. The order is then delivered to their seat by an onboard Customer Service Assistant.

As part of At-Seat Order, a click and collect function has also been introduced on Pendolino trains – giving customers the option to choose food and drink at their seat before collecting from the onboard shop. A notification will be sent to customers on their phone when their order is ready to collect.

Feedback for At-Seat Order has been overwhelmingly positive with customers rating the service as good or excellent.  

Accessibility groups also welcomed the new service, citing it was helpful for disabled customers who find it difficult to leave their seat.

At-Seat Order will also run alongside the onboard shop on Pendolino services if customers prefer to buy their food and drink in the more traditional way.

The onboard shop on Pendolinos have been installed with protective screens and safety lines in place to enable social distancing.

Sarah Copley, Executive Director, Commercial at Avanti West Coast said,

The results of our trial proved At-Seat Order was a great addition to services and a perfect solution for customers who did not want to leave their seat. It’s a new, easy way for those travelling to enjoy great food and drink with us and to pay digitally, providing extra reassurance during a journey so customers can travel with confidence.

Natalie

New name revealed for West Coast Main Line rail company

/in /by

Avanti West Coast will be the name of the new InterCity West Coast rail franchise, FirstGroup and Trenitalia have revealed.

From 8 December 2019, FirstGroup and Trenitalia will take over the operation of InterCity West Coast rail services. The service will link London to cities and towns across England, North Wales and Scotland, serving as a “vital economic artery bringing cities and people closer together”.

The Avanti West Coast logo, created by design agency forpeople, is a bright orange triangle, symbolising the geographic extent of the 400-mile long route that serves cities like Birmingham, Manchester, Liverpool and Glasgow as well as London and North Wales.



Avanti is Italian for “Forward!”

Under the new West Coast Partnership, First Trenitalia is committed to delivering a range of passenger enhancements for InterCity West Coast services and passengers will benefit from more trains, more seats, simplified fares and more frequent services.

56 Pendolino trains will be completely refurbished with 25,000 brand new seats, more reliable Wi-Fi and improved catering. By 2022, there will be 263 more train services every week to more places and a fleet of new trains introduced.

Fares and ticket types will be simplified with mobile tickets and smartcards introduced. Stations will be improved with refreshed waiting rooms, better customer facilities, more car parking spaces and greater accessibility for those who need it. 

Speaking at the launch of the new brand, Steve Montgomery, Managing Director of First Rail, one of the UK’s most experienced rail operators, said:

We’re looking forward to taking over the franchise and we are very pleased and proud to be working with Trenitalia, a strong partner who is committed to playing an increasing role in UK rail and has many years of expertise in the high speed sector in Italy.

We are committed to our customers and over the next few years, we will work with our industry and local partners not only to invest in, and improve, rail services on the route, but also to attract more people to rail and connect communities across the country.

Paul Baker, Sales Director of Global Travel Management, said:

These exciting investment plans on the West Coast Main Line will be a huge benefit to a lot of passengers.  And, with improved Wi-Fi and better catering, rail will become an attractive option for business travel between London, the north west of England and Scotland.

At Global Travel Management, we are looking forward to the feedback our clients give us on this new rail operator and we are excited to be able to add Avanti West Coast to the range of domestic and international rail services we provide.

You can book rail journeys on GTM Online or by contacting your GTM Account Manager.