All aboard for the Premier League: Avanti West Coast marks Coventry City’s promotion
'Sky Blue Champion' service to transport Coventry City fans to Watford for final game of season
- Avanti West Coast to mark Coventry City’s return to the Premier League
- Train service to be renamed 'Sky Blue Champion' to celebrate club’s Championship title-win and promotion
- Coventry station to welcome fans travelling to Watford for final game of season
Avanti West Coast will mark Coventry City’s return to the Premier League by renaming a train service for fans travelling to the final game of the season.
This Saturday (2 May), the intercity operator will temporarily rename its 09:40 service from Coventry to London Euston the ’Sky Blue Champion’ to mark the club’s achievement.
Set to be operated by Avanti West Coast’s ‘Lady Godiva’ Pendolino train (390039), the service will take fans to Watford for Coventry City’s last match of the season.
The Lady Godiva train, which is named after the legendary figure, was chosen for the occasion as it continues to fly the flag for the city across the West Coast Main Line.
The temporary name pays homage to the club’s nickname – the Sky Blues – and celebrates their Championship title win following a 5-1 victory over Portsmouth last week and securing promotion to the Premier League on 17 April.
Coventry station, which is managed by Avanti West Coast, regularly welcomes fans travelling by rail to home and away fixtures.
This Saturday will be extra special with the arrival of the ‘Sky Blue Champion’ and congratulatory messages on display as supporters make the journey to Vicarage Road – the home of Watford Football Club.
In recent years, Coventry station has become a key transport hub for the West Midlands following an £82million transformation, which delivered a new purpose-built building and multi-storey car park, as well as a £600,000 investment to replace the skylights on platform 1.
Maria McCarron, Avanti West Coast Station Manager at Coventry, said: “Congratulations to Coventry City on their return to the Premier League and winning the Championship title. This is a great moment for Coventry – a key hub on our network and a city we’re proud to serve.
“It’s fantastic to see everyone united in celebration after the club secured promotion and we’re excited to play a part in marking this historic occasion with fans travelling on our ‘Sky Blue Champion’ service this Saturday. We’re looking forward to welcoming fans onboard next season as they travel to Premier League matches across our network.”
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About Avanti West Coast
Avanti West Coast, operator of intercity rail services on the West Coast Main Line, is a joint venture between FirstGroup and Trenitalia, delivering a cleaner, greener railway that drives the West Coast forward. Avanti West Coast serves key UK cities, including London, Birmingham, Manchester, Liverpool, Glasgow as well as North Wales.
We’re on a mission to be the transport of choice – connecting customers and communities along the West Coast. Our award-winning Pendolino refurbishment programme transformed the UK’s hardest working fleet with all 56 of the iconic trains providing best-in-class comfort.
Our Evero fleet, which offers more seats, improved comfort, and a substantial cut to carbon emissions, was introduced in June 2024 and is the result of a £350m investment in sustainable travel. Built by Hitachi, the 23-strong fleet, consisting of 10 seven-carriage electric trains and 13 five-carriage bi-modes, serves routes from London to the Midlands, Chester, North Wales and the North West.
We want to make a positive difference to the people and places we serve – helping to drive economic growth, green travel, and break down barriers. Our efforts to contribute to society and enable people to benefit from the opportunities rail offers through purpose-led initiatives including Feel Good Field Trips and award-winning female driver recruitment campaign has seen us create over £1billion in social value impact.
We’re tackling climate change wherever we can, from reducing energy and water use to training drivers in eco-driving techniques and sourcing food and drink from local suppliers. Our goal is to be net zero carbon by 2031. We’re on track.
For the latest news, visit the Avanti West Coast Media Centre: https://newsdesk.avantiwestcoast.co.uk/
Press Office: 0845 000 3333