Avanti to replace Virgin Trains on UK’s busiest intercity line

‘The West Coast main line has been transformed from a public liability into a valuable asset worth many billions of pounds’ – Sir Richard Branson, founder of the Virgin Group

At 8.10am on Sunday 8 December, from platform 3 of London Euston, a new train operator will dispatch its first departure on the UK’s busiest intercity line.

The franchise has been awarded to Avanti West Coast, a joint venture between FirstGroup of Aberdeen and the Italian state rail operator, Trenitalia.

Avanti is the Italian word meaning “forward”. According to First Rail’s managing director Steve Montgomery, the brand was chosen to ”enshrine the type of forward-thinking operation we intend to run”. He said the new train operator will “generate national prosperity and pride”.

The West Coast main line, connecting the capital with Birmingham, Chester, Liverpool, Manchester, North Wales and Scotland, has been the preserve of Virgin Trains for the past 22 years. The rolling stock and staff will initially be unchanged.

In the most recent survey by the passenger watchdog Transport Focus, Virgin Trains scored the highest passenger satisfaction rating of any franchised train operator.

Sir Richard Branson, founder of the Virgin Group, has said of his train operator: “Under our stewardship, the West Coast main line has been transformed from a public liability into a valuable asset for the UK, worth many billions of pounds.

“The service is a British success story and one to put up against rail companies around the world.”

But his company, a joint venture with Stagecoach, was barred from bidding to continue the franchise because it refused to take on unpredictable pension funding.

Sir Richard said he was “devastated“ by the decision to exclude Virgin Trains.

Trenitalia’s UK managing director, Ernesto Sicilia, said: ”Avanti West Coast is a strong, progressive and dynamic brand that reflects our commitment to providing our customers with an exceptional service.”

The firm will refurbish the Pendolino trains that Virgin Trains specified and ordered to replace ageing British Rail stock.

All 56 trains will be refurbished, and more reliable wifi and improved catering is promised. The less popular diesel Voyager trains will be replaced.

Within three years there will be 263 more weekly services, with destinations including Walsall, Gobowen and Llandudno getting direct services to and from London Euston.

Avanti has also promised to simplify fares and ticketing – exactly in line with the Williams Review of Britain’s railways, whose publication has been delayed by the general election.

The timing of the new franchise is bizarre, since the Conservatives have vowed in their election manifesto to end “the complicated franchising model” that was introduced at the time of privatisation in the 1990s.

Other franchise operators have been granted extensions until the shape of the rail system is known.

Avanti is also due to operate initial High Speed 2 services from Euston on a management contract, although the future of that project is in doubt.

When the franchise was announced in August 2019, the general secretary of the RMT union, Mick Cash called it “just another political fix by a Government whose privatised franchise model is collapsing around their ears”.

He said: “RMT will take whatever action is required to protect out members’ pay, jobs, working conditions and pensions on these vital intercity routes.”

The final Virgin service in the UK will depart from London Euston at 9.42pm on Saturday 7 December, and arrive at Wolverhampton at 11.47pm.

The Virgin Trains brand lives on in Florida, where it runs trains from Miami to Fort Lauderdale and West Palm Beach.