Avanti West Coast adds more seats with summer timetable change

Avanti West Coast has added extra seats and introduced new trains as part of its summer timetable change.

Launching this week, the intercity operator’s June timetable, which coincides with the industry timetable changes, now offers more connectivity in the West Midlands – with additional services between London and Birmingham on weekdays and Saturdays.

As part of the new timetable, Avanti West Coast will also introduce its new fleet of Hitachi trains. Named Evero, the 23-strong fleet consists of 10 seven-carriage electric trains (807) and 13 five-carriage bi-modes (805).

They will initially serve routes from London to the Midlands, Chester, North Wales and then in the North West. The Class 805 has 299 seats, 16 percent more than the Voyager trains which served this part of the network.

Switching between electric and diesel, the bi-mode versions will principally operate on the London to North Wales route while the electric trains will be focused between London, the West Midlands and Liverpool.

A total of six Evero Class 805s will initially be used on each weekday. The remainder of the fleet will be introduced on the network in due course.

The £350m fleet will be maintained at Alstom’s Oxley depot in the West Midlands, and will work alongside the Pendolino trains, which have recently undergone the largest ever upgrade of its kind in the UK with an £117m investment.  

Managing Director of Avanti West Coast, Andy Mellors said: “The introduction of our new timetable and the Evero fleet marks an exciting new chapter for our people and customers.

“The investment is also a key part of our plans to support the UK rail industry, and our wider commitment to improve customer experience on the West Coast Main Line.”