Avanti West Coast has provided an update on the refurbishment of its Pendolino trains, with all 11-carriage trainsets now upgraded.
The operator inherited the 20-year-old trains from previous West Coast mainline operator Virgin Trains, and announced plans to renovate the fleet in July 2021.
A total of 35 11-carriage trains have now been refurbished, equating to 385 carriages, 17,780 new seats, 3,010 new tables and 770 infotainment screens.
The trains also now feature improved lighting, increased availability of power sockets, and new onboard shops.
As part of this work Avanti increased the seat-count on its 11-car units by replacing one first carriage with standard class seating.
Focus will now turn to the remaining 21 nine-carriage trains, with work expected to be completed by summer 2024, at a total investment of £117 million.
Commenting on the news Philippa Cresswell, executive director On Board at Avanti West Coast said:
“The refurbished Pendolinos are proving a big hit with our customers. They really do look and feel like a new train.
“We will continue to work with our partners Alstom and Angel Trains to complete the transformation of one the UK’s most iconic trains as we look forward to welcoming more people back to rail.”
Avanti also expects to start taking delivery of new Hitachi trains from the end of this year, with a total fleet of 23 units (a mixture of electric and bi-mode units) gradually replacing the operator’s existing diesel-powered Voyager units.
