Avanti West Coast

Class 390 Pendolino on the West Coast Main Line at Cathiron, 2020
Overview
Franchise(s)	West Coast Partnership 8 Dec 2019 – 31 March 2026
Main region(s)	Greater London South East England West Midlands North West England North Wales Scotland
Fleet size	18 Class 221 Super Voyagers 56 Class 390 Pendolinos
Stations called at	46
Stations operated	16
Parent company	FirstGroup (70%) Trenitalia (30%)
Reporting mark	VT
Predecessor	Virgin Trains
Other
Website	www.avantiwestcoast.co.uk
Route map

Avanti West Coast is a train operating company in the United Kingdom owned by FirstGroup (70%) and Trenitalia (30%) that began operating the West Coast Partnership franchise on 8 December 2019. It replaced Virgin Trains, which had operated the InterCity West Coast franchise between 1997 and 2019. The franchise was initially scheduled to run until March 2030, operating High Speed 2 services from 2026.^[1] However, in December 2020, it was announced that it will be terminated on 31 March 2026 as part of the abolition of the franchise system.^[2]

The franchise covers long-distance passenger services on the West Coast Main Line between London, the West Midlands, North West England, North Wales and Scotland, connecting six of the UK's largest cities: London, Birmingham, Liverpool, Manchester, Glasgow and Edinburgh, which have a combined metropolitan population of over 18 million.

History

In November 2016, the Department for Transport (DfT) announced that the InterCity West Coast franchise would be superseded by the West Coast Partnership (WCP), which would include operating High Speed 2 (HS2) services from 2026.^[3]

The DfT required that bidders have experience in high-speed trains and infrastructure, hence all partnered with an existing high-speed operator.^[4][5] In June 2017, the DfT announced that three consortia had been shortlisted to bid for the franchise:^[6][7]

• FirstGroup (70%) / Trenitalia (30%)
• MTR Corporation (75%) / Guangshen Railway Company (25%)
• Stagecoach (50%) / SNCF (30%) / Virgin Group (20%)

In December 2018 Renfe Operadora joined the MTR-led bid.^[8] In April 2019, the Stagecoach-led bid was disqualified after it proposed significant changes to the commercial terms.^[9]

In August 2019 the DfT awarded the franchise to the First Trenitalia consortium with Avanti West Coast to commence operations on 8 December 2019.^[10][11] The Competition and Markets Authority launched a merger inquiry into the award of the franchise following a referral from the European Commission.^[12][13]

Services

Avanti West Coast currently operates the same services as Virgin Trains did on the West Coast Main Line.

Over the course of the franchise several timetable changes are expected to be made.^[14]

Unlike London North Western Railway and London Overground, Oyster or Contactless payment card are not valid on Avanti West Coast services between London Euston and Watford Junction, as Avanti services are pick-up only northbound and set-down only southbound at Watford Junction.

As of September 2021, the intercity routes are shown below:

Future services

Future services include:

• an additional service will be introduced to Shrewsbury from December 2022
• subject to approval by the Office of Rail and Road, an additional hourly service will be introduced between London Euston and Liverpool Lime Street with a stop at Liverpool South Parkway from December 2022
• additional direct journeys at Milton Keynes Central to and from London Euston from December 2022
• extension of the daily service from London Euston to Wrexham General to Gobowen from December 2022
• earlier first trains and later last trains from London Euston to Llandudno Junction on weekends from December 2022
• earlier first trains and later last trains from London Euston to Chester on weekends by December 2022

Named trains

Avanti West Coast operates a named passenger train:

Classes of service

Uniquely among domestic train companies within the UK, Avanti West Coast operates three classes of service.

• Standard class occupies 6 coaches of 9-coach Pendolinos, 7 coaches of 11-coach Pendolinos, and 4 coaches of 5-coach Super Voyager trains. It consists of 2x2 seating, predominantly airline-style with fold-down tray tables; there is a limited number of bays of 4 seats around tables. Food and drink are available for purchase from the shop in coach C, with at-seat delivery sometimes available.
• Standard Premium class occupies 1-2 coaches of 9-coach Pendolinos and 2-3 coaches of 11-coach Pendolinos (variable depending on demand). It consists of wider 2x1 seating, with all seats having a table. There is no standard premium service on Super Voyager trains. Food and drink are available for purchase from the shop in coach C, with at-seat delivery sometimes available. Passengers can purchase Standard Premium tickets in advance or upgrade on-board for a variable fee depending on distance travelled.
• First Class occupies 1-2 coaches of Pendolinos and 1 coach of each 5-coach Super Voyager, usually at the London end. It has the same 2x1 all-table seating as Standard Premium. Other than on very short journeys, passengers are served a hot meal included in the fare, with complimentary alcoholic, hot, and soft drinks available from about midday until end of service.

Rolling stock

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

Current fleet

Class	Image	Type	Top speed		Carriages	Number	Built	Notes
			mph	km/h
221 Super Voyager		DEMU	125	200	5	18	2001–2002	Set numbers 221101-118 Refurbished and overhauled. Scheduled to be replaced from 2023 by Class 805 and 807s.[18]
390/0 & 390/1 Pendolino		EMU	140	225	9	21	2001–2004	Pendolino (from the Italian word Pendolo) refers to tilting trains. To be retained long-term and refurbished throughout.[19]
			140	225	11	31	2001–2004	Pendolino (from the Italian word Pendolo) refers to tilting trains. To be retained long-term and refurbished throughout.[19]
						4	2010–2012

Future fleet

All 20 of the Class 221 Super Voyager units 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.^[20][21] These trains are to be divided into thirteen Class 805 bi-mode multiple units and ten Class 807 electric multiple units.^[22] Although the units will have the same top speed, they will not tilt like the Class 390 Pendolinos nor the Class 221 "Super Voyager" units they will replace. The Class 805 units are to be used for services to Shrewsbury, Chester, Gobowen and North Wales and the Class 807 units are to be used for services to Birmingham New Street, Blackpool North and Liverpool Lime Street (alongside the Pendolinos).^[19][23]

Avanti West Coast plans to operate at least 54 new trains for High Speed 2 services, these trains will be built by Hitachi Rail and Alstom in the UK and are expected to enter service between 2029-2033.^[24]

Family	Class	Image	Type	Top speed		Number	Carriages	Routes operated	Entering service
				mph	km/h
Hitachi AT300	805		Bi-mode multiple unit	125	200	13	5	London Euston to Chester London Euston to Gobowen/Llandudno and Holyhead London Euston to Shrewsbury	Due 2023
	807		Electric multiple unit	125	200	10	7	London Euston to Liverpool Lime Street London Euston to Blackpool North London Euston to Birmingham New Street
Alstom/Hitachi	TBA		Electric multiple unit	225	360	54[25]	8	HS2 routes	2029-2033