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Avanti West Coast

First Trenitalia West Coast Rail, trading as Avanti West Coast, is a British train operating company owned by FirstGroup (70%) and Trenitalia (30%) that operates the West Coast Partnership.

Avanti West Coast
Class 390 Pendolino on the West Coast Main Line in 2022
Overview
Franchise(s)West Coast Partnership
Main region(s)
Other region(s)
Fleet size
Stations called at46
Stations operated16
Parent companyFirstGroup (70%)
Trenitalia (30%)
Reporting markVT
Dates of operation8 December 2019 (2019-12-08)–18 October 2026 (2026-10-18)[1][2]
PredecessorVirgin Trains
Other
Websitewww.avantiwestcoast.co.uk Edit this at Wikidata
Route map

During November 2016, the Department for Transport (DfT) announced the InterCity West Coast franchise would be replaced by the West Coast Partnership (WCP). In August 2019, the DfT awarded the WCP franchise to the First Trenitalia consortium. On 8 December 2019, Avanti West Coast took over operations from the prior operating company Virgin Trains, which had run the franchise since 1997. Originally, the franchise was initially scheduled to run until March 2030, and had also been set to operate the initial High Speed 2 services from 2026, before project delays moved its expected completion.[5] However, during December 2020, it was announced that First Trenitalia and the DfT had agreed to terminate the WCP franchise at the earlier date of 31 March 2026 as part of the abolition of the franchise system;[6] later revisions resulting from COVID-19 and poor performance shortened the contract expiry to October 2023 before being extended to October 2026.[1]

Avanti West Coast provide the principal long-distance passenger services on the West Coast Main Line between London, the West Midlands, North West England, North Wales and Scotland. Its services connect six of the largest cities in the UK: London, Birmingham, Liverpool, Manchester, Glasgow, and Edinburgh, which have a combined metropolitan population of over 18 million. At the start of the franchise, the rolling stock used for these services consisted of 56 Class 390 Pendolino high speed electric multiple units and 20 Class 221 Super Voyager diesel-electric multiple units; in 2019, it was announced that the Super Voyagers would be replaced by newly built Class 805 bi-mode multiple units and Class 807 electric multiple units. Originally, Avanti West Coast was set to operate the pending high speed train fleet intended for use on High Speed 2, although the contract is set to end prior to the completion of this new railway as of 2023.

History

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Background

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In November 2016, the Department for Transport (DfT) announced that the InterCity West Coast franchise would be superseded by the West Coast Partnership (WCP). The principal change of the WCP was the inclusion of the High Speed 2 (HS2) services, then envisioned to start around 2026.[7] Accordingly, the DfT required that bidders have experience in operating high-speed trains and the associated infrastructure, which led to all tendering parties either being, or partnering with, an existing high-speed operator.[8][9]

During June 2017, the DfT announced that three consortia had been shortlisted to bid for the franchise:[10][11]

In December 2018, the Spanish state-owned company Renfe Operadora joined the MTR-led bid.[12] During April 2019, it was announced that the incumbent Stagecoach-led bid had been disqualified after it had proposed significant changes to the commercial terms, specially in regards to staff pensions.[13][14] Stagecoach disputed its disqualification and launched a legal challenge to have it overturned. On 17 June 2020 the High Court ruled against the company and that the decision had been lawful.[15][16]

In August 2019, the DfT awarded the franchise to the First Trenitalia consortium with Avanti West Coast to commence operations on 8 December 2019.[17][18] The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) launched a merger inquiry into the award of the franchise following a referral from the European Commission.[19][20] In December 2019 it was announced that the CMA had approved the franchise's award; concerns that limited competition on some routes could lead to higher fares and less availability of cheaper tickets were offset by the agreement of price caps to be present in some regions.[21][22]

Changes and controversies

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Services were curtailed during 2020 in response to the significant decline of passenger travel during the COVID-19 pandemic.[23][24] To help tackle the threat, new hygiene practices were introduced onboard Avanti services.[25] Occasionally, services had to be cancelled at short notice due to a lack of staff.[26] During 2022, Avanti West Coast begun ramping up service levels again, and issued public promises to restore full service to areas such as North Wales and Chester.[27][28] As part of dealing with COVID-19, the DfT produced an Emergency Measures Agreement (EMA) and then in September 2020, an Emergency Recovery Measures Agreement (ERMA), which extended Avanti West Coast's contract until 1 April 2031.[29]

The 2020 ERMA was overridden in October 2022 with a six-month short-term contract to give the company time to improve its performance. In March 2023, this contract was extended by a further six months to expire on 15 October 2023.[30]

Avanti West Coast is amongst those operators impacted by the 2022–2024 United Kingdom railway strikes, the first national rail strike in the UK for three decades.[31] Its workers are amongst those who have voted to take industrial action due a dispute over pay and working conditions.[32][33] In response, the company appealed for the general public to avoid the railways for non-essential travel on the affected dates, these being 21, 23, and 25 June, as only a minimal service could be run due to the number of staff choosing not to work.[34] On 29 June 2022, Avanti West Coast's staff voted in favour of further strikes.[35][36]

Between 14 August and 18 September 2022, Avanti West Coast reduced its timetable, citing unofficial strike action from its employees.[37] However, this allegation was disputed by Aslef,[38] which accused the company of lying and blamed their lack of recruitment, especially of train drivers, for the problems. Trains were running at one service per hour on the majority of routes, as opposed to the three which would typically occur on the London Euston to Manchester Piccadilly route. Following these changes, Avanti West Coast was subject to public criticism; news stories emerged of numerous train cancellations, overcrowded services, delays, and expensive fares. Many commuters faced difficulties reaching their destinations on the reduced services and some travellers have been left to wait until two days before travel for tickets to be released for sale.[citation needed]

The Mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham, expressed his frustration at the operator and explained his intention to ask the then Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, to strip Avanti West Coast of their franchise.[39] During September 2022, the CEO of Avanti West Coast resigned amid the timetable controversy.[40] In October 2022, the UK Government extended Avanti's contract for six months but stated "drastic improvements" were necessary.[41] According to figures released by the Office of Rail and Road on 12 November 2022, Avanti West Coast had the worst record of train cancellations in the year prior to this date. The average rate in Great Britain was 3.8%, while Avanti West Coast had a cancellation rate of 8%.[42]

On 19 September 2023 DfT announced the award of a National Rail Contract (NRC) to First Trenitalia, starting on 15 October 2023 with a core term of three years (to 18 October 2026) and a maximum term of nine years (to 17 October 2032).[1]

Services

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Avanti West Coast currently operates the same services as Virgin Trains did on the West Coast Main Line. However, over the course of the franchise, several timetable changes are expected to be made. It was anticipated that, from December 2022, an additional 263 train services would be run every week.[43][44]

Unlike services operated by London Northwestern Railway and London Overground, the Oyster contactless payment card is not valid on Avanti West Coast services between London Euston and Watford Junction, as Avanti West Coast services are pick-up only northbound and set-down only southbound at Watford Junction.[citation needed] In February 2021, Avanti West Coast launched smartcard ticketing as a more convenient and environmentally-friendly alternative to traditional paper tickets.[45]

Routes

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As of June 2024, Avanti West Coast weekday regular intercity routes are as follows:[46]

Route A – London - North West and Scotland via Birmingham
Route tpd Calling at
London Euston to Blackpool North via Birmingham New Street 2
London Euston to Glasgow Central via Birmingham New Street 5
  • Watford Junction, Milton Keynes Central, Rugby, Coventry, Birmingham International, Birmingham New Street, Sandwell & Dudley, Wolverhampton, Stafford, Crewe, Warrington Bank Quay, Wigan North Western, Preston, Lancaster, Carlisle
London Euston to Edinburgh Waverley via Birmingham New Street 7
  • Watford Junction, Milton Keynes Central, Rugby, Coventry, Birmingham International, Birmingham New Street, Sandwell & Dudley, Wolverhampton, Stafford, Crewe, Warrington Bank Quay, Wigan North Western, Preston, Lancaster, Carlisle, Haymarket
Route B – London - West Midlands
Route tph Calling at
London Euston to Birmingham New Street[a] 1
Route C – London - Chester and North Wales
Route tpd Calling at
London Euston to Holyhead 10
Route D – London - Liverpool
Route tph Calling at
London Euston to Liverpool Lime Street 1
  • Milton Keynes Central, Crewe, Runcorn
Route E – London - Manchester
Route tph Calling at
London Euston to Manchester Piccadilly via Stoke-on-Trent 1
1
London Euston to Manchester Piccadilly via Crewe 1
Route F – London - North West and Scotland via Trent Valley
Route tph Calling at
London Euston to Blackpool North 1tpd
  • Monday–Friday only.
London Euston to Glasgow Central 1
  • Trains call at either Oxenholme Lake District or Penrith North Lakes

Rolling stock

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Avanti West Coast commenced operations having inherited the existing Super Voyager and Pendolino fleets from Virgin Trains.

Current fleet

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 Class  Image  Type   Top speed  Number Carriages  Built   Notes 
 mph   km/h 
221 Super Voyager   DEMU 125 200 8[47] 5 2001–2002 Set numbers 221101–106 & 221108–109.
Refurbished and overhauled. To be replaced by the Class 805 and 807 units in the future.[48]
390 Pendolino   EMU 21 9 2001–2004 Pendolino (from the Italian word Pendolo) refers to tilting trains.
To be retained long-term and refurbished throughout.[49]
 
31 11 2001–2004
  • Pendolino (from the Italian word Pendolo) refers to tilting trains.
  • To be retained long-term and refurbished throughout.[49]
4 2010–2012
 
805 Evero[50]   BMU 13 5 2021–2024 Entered service in June 2024[4]
 
807 Evero[50]   EMU 10 7 2021–2024 Entered service in November 2024[51]
 

Future fleet

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All the Class 221 Super Voyagers will be replaced by 23 new trains from the Hitachi A-train family with maintenance taking place at Alstom's Oxley TRSMD depot in Wolverhampton.[52][53] These trains are to be divided into thirteen Class 805 bi-mode multiple units and ten Class 807 electric multiple units.[54] Although the units will have the same top speed, they will not tilt like the Class 390 Pendolinos nor the Class 221 Super Voyagers they will replace. The Class 805s are to be used for services to Chester, Gobowen and North Wales and the Class 807s are to be used for services to Birmingham New Street, Blackpool North and Liverpool Lime Street (alongside the Pendolinos).[49][55]

Avanti West Coast had planned to operate at least 54 new high speed trains for High Speed 2 services, to be built by Hitachi Rail and Alstom in the UK and expected to enter service between 2029 and 2033.[56]

Family Class Image Type Top speed Number Carriages Routes operated Entering service
mph km/h
Alstom/Hitachi TBA   TBA 225 360 54[57] 8 HS2 routes 2029–2030

Past fleet

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In June 2022, two Avanti West Coast Class 221 "Super Voyagers", units 221142 and 221143, went off lease,[58] and later transferred to Grand Central.[59] In July 2024, a further 10 "Super Voyagers" went off lease, and units 221107, 221110-13 and 221117-18 were stored, with units 221114-16 transferring to CrossCountry.[47]

 Class  Image  Type   Top speed  Number  Carriages  Built 
 mph   km/h 
221 Super Voyager   DEMU 125 200 12[47] 5 2001–2002

Notes

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  1. ^ Euston - Birmingham trains are supplemented by Euston - Birmingham - Blackpool/Scotland trains, providing two trains an hour

References

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  1. ^ a b c "West Coast Partnership and Cross Country rail operator direct awards" (Press release). London: Department for Transport. 19 September 2023. Archived from the original on 19 September 2023. Retrieved 19 September 2023.
  2. ^ "West Coast partnership 2023: national rail contract" (PDF). Department for Transport. gov.uk. 21 March 2024. p. 76 | Specified Additional Rolling Stock. Archived (PDF) from the original on 21 March 2024. Retrieved 21 March 2024.
  3. ^ "Avanti Introduces its Evero bi-mode fleet into service". News. Railways Illustrated. No. 258. August 2024. pp. 8–9.
  4. ^ a b @todaysrailways (2 June 2024). "Welcome to Evero! @AvantiWestCoast has branded its new Hitachi Class 805/807 units "Evero". Six Class 805s are in service today on the Euston-Chester/Holyhead/Wrexham routes - 805001/004/008/009/011/012" (Tweet). Retrieved 2 June 2024 – via Twitter.
  5. ^ "Avanti West Coast prepares for launch on December 8". International Railway Journal. 28 November 2019. Archived from the original on 8 December 2022. Retrieved 19 December 2020.
  6. ^ "Two franchises abolished for good, as First and DfT agree terms | Railnews | Today's news for Tomorrow's railway". www.railnews.co.uk. Archived from the original on 10 December 2020. Retrieved 19 December 2020.
  7. ^ "New West Coast rail franchise to run HS2 services". BBC News. Archived from the original on 7 November 2016. Retrieved 8 November 2016.
  8. ^ Lea, Robert. "Wanted: Superfast mover to partner Virgin and Stagecoach for HS2". The Times. London. Archived from the original on 5 March 2017. Retrieved 4 March 2017.
  9. ^ "RENFE poised to join Virgin's HS2 franchise bid". Railway Gazette International. DVV Media Group. 11 April 2017. Archived from the original on 13 April 2017.
  10. ^ "West Coast Partnership and South Eastern rail franchise bidders". Department for Transport. 22 June 2017. Archived from the original on 21 September 2018. Retrieved 14 August 2019.
  11. ^ "Three shortlisted for West Coast Partnership franchise". Railway Gazette International. 22 June 2017. Archived from the original on 22 June 2017.
  12. ^ "RENFE joins MTR's West Coast Partnership bid team". Railway Gazette International. 20 December 2018. Archived from the original on 11 August 2019.
  13. ^ "Stagecoach disqualified from three franchises in pension dispute". Railway Gazette. 10 April 2019. Archived from the original on 11 August 2019.
  14. ^ Murden, Terry (10 April 2019). "Stagecoach 'disqualified' from UK rail franchise bids". Daily Business. Edinburgh. Archived from the original on 17 May 2022. Retrieved 3 July 2022.
  15. ^ "Decision to disqualify bidders from rail franchise procurements was lawful: High Court". Local Government Lawyer. London. 17 June 2020. Archived from the original on 3 July 2022. Retrieved 3 July 2022.
  16. ^ Hart, Charlie (18 June 2020). "Stagecoach 'disappointed' by High Court ruling on rail bid ban". Supply Management. Chartered Institute of Procurement & Supply. Archived from the original on 3 July 2022. Retrieved 3 July 2022.
  17. ^ "FirstGroup and Trenitalia welcome West Coast Partnership Award". London Stock Exchange. 14 August 2019. Archived from the original on 14 August 2019.
  18. ^ "West Coast marks new partnership model for rail" (Press release). Department for Transport. 14 August 2019. Archived from the original on 17 January 2023. Retrieved 14 August 2019.
  19. ^ "First Rail Holdings & Trenitalia UK / West Coast Partnership Rail Franchise". Competition and Markets Authority. 20 September 2019. Archived from the original on 7 November 2019. Retrieved 27 October 2019.
  20. ^ Topham, Gwyn (27 November 2019). "West coast train services to be rebranded with Avanti logo". The Guardian. London. Archived from the original on 17 January 2023. Retrieved 28 November 2019.
  21. ^ "CMA accepts price caps on West Coast Rail lines" (Press release). London: Competition and Markets Authority. 6 December 2019. Archived from the original on 3 July 2022. Retrieved 3 July 2022.
  22. ^ Saker-Clark, Henry (6 December 2019). "Preston-to-Scotland fares to be capped after CMA probe into Avanti franchise". Belfast Telegraph. Archived from the original on 3 July 2022. Retrieved 3 July 2022.
  23. ^ Hewitt, Sam (15 May 2020). "Avanti West Coast introduce social distancing measures". therailwayhub.co.uk. Archived from the original on 23 January 2022. Retrieved 3 July 2022.
  24. ^ Osborne, Samuel (27 December 2021). "COVID-19: Christmas travel disruption as Omicron hits rail and airline staffing". Sky News. Archived from the original on 3 July 2022. Retrieved 3 July 2022.
  25. ^ Hughes, Owen (12 June 2020). "Avanti West Coast 'fogging' trains with powerful sanitiser in Covid-19 fight". business-live.co.uk. Archived from the original on 22 April 2023. Retrieved 3 July 2022.
  26. ^ Dowling, Mark (January 2022). "Covid: Train staff shortage results in reduced Merseyrail and Avanti West Coast timetable". Chester Standard. Archived from the original on 26 January 2022. Retrieved 3 July 2022.
  27. ^ Simmons, Jenny (28 February 2022). "Avanti doubles Manchester to London service on West Coast mainline as rail travel begins to bounce back". Manchester World. Archived from the original on 28 February 2022. Retrieved 3 July 2022.
  28. ^ Hughes, Owen (22 June 2022). "North Wales and Chester to get full return of rail services to London says Avanti West Coast". Daily Post. Colwyn Bay: Reach plc. Archived from the original on 29 June 2022. Retrieved 3 July 2022.
  29. ^ "Emergency Recovery Measures Agreement ("ERMA")" (PDF). Department for Transport. 19 September 2020. Archived (PDF) from the original on 17 March 2023. Retrieved 17 March 2023.
  30. ^ "Avanti West Coast contract extended for a further 6 months following recent service improvements" (Press release). Department for Transport. 20 March 2023. Archived from the original on 3 April 2023. Retrieved 20 March 2023.
  31. ^ "Rail strike: RMT union votes for national action". BBC News. 24 May 2022. Archived from the original on 24 May 2022. Retrieved 24 May 2022.
  32. ^ Finnis, Alex (20 June 2022). "The dates of the train, Tube and bus strikes this week, and how services will be affected". i. London: Daily Mail and General Trust. Archived from the original on 24 June 2022. Retrieved 24 June 2022.
  33. ^ Stubbings, David. "When are the rail strikes? Dates and lines affected in the Black Country and Staffordshire". Express & Star. Wolverhampton. Archived from the original on 24 June 2022. Retrieved 24 June 2022.
  34. ^ Mawson, Brandon (23 June 2022). "Avanti West Coast urges only essential travel this Saturday". News & Star. Carlisle. Archived from the original on 11 July 2022. Retrieved 3 July 2022.
  35. ^ Hill, Joel (29 June 2022). "Avanti West Coast railway staff vote for further strikes". ITV News. Archived from the original on 3 July 2022. Retrieved 3 July 2022.
  36. ^ Robinson, Jon (9 June 2022). "Avanti West Coast staff could strike causing chaos for Liverpool passengers". Liverpool Echo. Liverpool: Reach plc. Archived from the original on 3 July 2022. Retrieved 3 July 2022.
  37. ^ Avanti West Coast (10 August 2022). "Train Timetables". Avanti West Coast. Archived from the original on 28 August 2022. Retrieved 26 August 2022.
  38. ^ Duffy, Nick (8 August 2022). "Avanti West Coast slashes timetable blaming 'unofficial strike action' by train drivers". i. London: Daily Mail and General Trust. Archived from the original on 11 October 2023. Retrieved 26 August 2022.
  39. ^ Britton, Paul (26 August 2022). "Andy Burnham reveals 'dangerous stampedes' for trains from London to Manchester". Manchester Evening News. Manchester: Reach plc. Archived from the original on 22 April 2023. Retrieved 26 August 2022.
  40. ^ Topham, Gwyn (2 September 2022). "Avanti West Coast boss fired after timetable failures". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 20 September 2022.
  41. ^ Sweney, Mark (7 October 2022). "Avanti West Coast must 'drastically improve' after securing six-month extension". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 27 October 2022.
  42. ^ Austin, Katy (30 November 2022). "Train cancellations: 'Travelling to work can cost me more than I earn'". BBC News. Archived from the original on 30 November 2022. Retrieved 30 November 2022.
  43. ^ "West Coast Partnership franchise improvements map". London: Department for Transport. 14 August 2019. Archived from the original on 14 August 2019. Retrieved 14 August 2019.
  44. ^ Hussain, Noor Zainab (15 November 2019). "UK watchdog could let FirstGroup, TrenItalia run West Coast rail franchise". Reuters. London. Archived from the original on 3 July 2022. Retrieved 3 July 2022.
  45. ^ Hewitt, Sam (22 February 2021). "Avanti West Coast launches smartcard to boost sustainability". The Railway Hub. Horncastle: Mortons Media Group. Archived from the original on 3 July 2022. Retrieved 3 July 2022.
  46. ^ "Scheduled timetable book for 2 June to 14 December 2024" (PDF). London: Avanti West Coast. 2 June 2024. Retrieved 2 June 2024.
  47. ^ a b c Bendall, Simon; Coward, Andy (August 2024). "Avanti takes Voyagers off-lease". Railways Illustrated. No. 258. p. 20.
  48. ^ "Operators face ongoing new trains woes". Modern Railways. 27 January 2022. Archived from the original on 11 October 2023. Retrieved 12 May 2022.
  49. ^ a b c "First Trenitalia awarded West Coast Partnership". Railway Gazette International. 14 August 2019. Archived from the original on 14 August 2019.
  50. ^ a b "Avanti West Coast - Evero". Avanti West Coast. 3 June 2024. Archived from the original on 2 June 2024. Retrieved 3 June 2024.
  51. ^ "Avanti West Coast introduce electric Evero trains as services to Liverpool increase". Avanti West Coast. 11 November 2024. Retrieved 11 November 2024.
  52. ^ "Hitachi Rail chosen to build new InterCity trains for Avanti West Coast". Global Railway Review. Archived from the original on 26 July 2020. Retrieved 13 July 2020.
  53. ^ Nowell, David (6 December 2019). "Inter-city rail operator's £350m new trains fleet to be built in UK". Lancashire Evening Post. Preston: Johnston Press. Archived from the original on 13 July 2020. Retrieved 13 July 2020.
  54. ^ Clinnick, Richard (9 June 2020). "Avanti confirms class numbers for Hitachi train order". Rail. Peterborough: Bauer Media Group. Archived from the original on 5 July 2020. Retrieved 13 July 2020.
  55. ^ "Avanti West Coast launched". Railways Illustrated. Horncastle: Mortons Media Group. February 2020. p. 6.
  56. ^ "HS2: New £2bn 225mph trains to be designed and built in the UK by Hitachi and Alstom". RailAdvent. 9 December 2021. Archived from the original on 9 December 2021. Retrieved 9 December 2021.
  57. ^ "Alstom-Hitachi joint venture wins £2bn HS2 fleet contract". International Railway Journal. 9 December 2021. Archived from the original on 10 December 2021. Retrieved 11 December 2021.
  58. ^ "Avanti hands back two 'Super Voyagers'". Rail Express. No. 315. August 2022. p. 26.
  59. ^ "Class 221 Super Voyager". Units. Rail Express. No. 326. Horncastle: Mortons Media Group. July 2023. p. 21. ISSN 1362-234X.
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Preceded by Operator of West Coast Partnership franchise
2019–2026 		Succeeded by
Incumbent
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