Avanti West Coast boss says train firm is ‘making progress’ on improving performance

A "relentless focus" on improving Avanti West Coast's performance is "making progress" but there is "still more to do", its Managing Director has said.

Andy Mellors says the company must maintain a "laser focus" on delivering "the timetable that we promise to customers".

In 2023 Avanti West Coast had the worst reliability record of 24 operators in Britain, but most recent figures show its ranking has risen to number 20.

Mr Mellors, speaking at Liverpool Lime Street station to mark the launch of an additional weekday return service to London, said: “There’s been a relentless focus on restoring operational performance and day-to-day delivery, which is starting to bear fruit.”

He said this has been a “collaborative effort” particularly with infrastructure management company Network Rail.

Mr Mellors said Avanti West Coast is “starting to see the benefit of unprecedented levels of recruitment” of drivers, which started in 2022.

He said the operator has more than 650 drivers, including 100 who are at various stages of training.

Asked if passengers can trust Avanti, Mr Mellors replied: “I came into this role in March of last year, and one of the things I was really clear about was that we needed to regain the trust and confidence of customers and stakeholders.

“What we’ve done over the last 12 months in terms of building back the timetable, running extra services and delivering improvements in punctuality and reliability, has really supported that.

“We are making progress. There’s still more to do, but we continue to keep that laser focus on delivering the best possible service we can for customers and communities.”

Transport Secretary Louise Haigh summoned Mr Mellors and Network Rail bosses for a meeting in July.

She later said the Department for Transport was “exploring options for Avanti” as she was “really shocked at the levels of performance that the previous government tolerated”.

Mr Mellors said: “It was an opportunity to talk through the challenges that we both have, ourselves and Network Rail, in terms of delivering the best possible service we can.

“We’ve got a joint performance strategy with Network Rail. Ultimately, we can’t deliver our timetable reliably and punctually without their support.”

Office of Rail and Road figures show Avanti West Coast cancelled the equivalent of 5.9% of services in the four weeks to 12 October, compared with 6.6% a year earlier.

Some 57% of cancellations in the three months to the end of June were a result of issues outside the control of Avanti West Coast such as infrastructure faults, the operator said.

The Government has introduced legislation which will enable it to nationalise train operation when existing contracts expire.

The previous Conservative government awarded Avanti West Coast – owned by FirstGroup and Trenitalia – a new contract starting in October last year, with a core term running until 18 October 2026.

Mr Mellors said: “The two challenges that the industry faces – consistent operational delivery and growing the business to be less of a burden on the taxpayer – will continue to exist whatever the ownership model.”

He added: “Our focus on improving day-to-day delivery, on growing the business, is undiminished despite the policy of nationalisation.”

Avanti West Coast plans to add 30 additional weekly services on the Liverpool-London route from December 15, which will include some weekend enhancements.

The extra services are currently being operated by new fully electric Evero trains.

Compared with the Voyager trains they are replacing, the Everos have more seats, increased legroom, larger luggage racks and enhanced wi-fi.

They will work alongside Avanti West Coast’s Pendolino trains, which recently underwent the UK’s largest train fleet upgrade.