Avanti West Coast’s iconic Pendolino fleet named most improved at railway awards
The intercity operator recognised for the first time at the Golden Spanners.
- Avanti West Coast win for the first time at the Golden Spanners
- Its Pendolino fleet, which is over 20 years old, awarded most improved
- The yearly awards, held in London, celebrate train maintenance and reliability
Avanti West Coast’s iconic Pendolino trains have been named most improved at this year’s Golden Spanner awards.
The Class 390 fleet won a Silver Spanner, which is given to the most improved fleet for train reliability over the last 12 months in each rolling stock category.
Winning the award in the ‘First generation new inter-city’ category was the operator’s first ever success at the annual ceremony, which is hosted by Modern Railway’s Fourth Friday Club – a networking forum set up by the rail magazine for executives within the industry.
The 56-train Pendolino fleet, which was built and is maintained by Alstom, has become symbolic to the West Coast Main Line and UK rail, having travelled over 300 million miles since the first train entered service in 2002.
Last year, the Pendolino fleet upgrade– the UK’s biggest train refurbishment - was completed. The programme was delivered in partnership with Alstom and Angel Trains, who financed the project with a £117m investment. Every Pendolino train was revamped to improve the travelling experience for customers with new Standard Class seats; a refurbished First Class and a new Standard Premium carriage; a new shop; new passenger information screens and a completely new look-and-feel.
This was followed by a major operational heavy overhaul of all 56 trains. The programme, which was completed in spring this year, saw bogies – sets of train wheels; pantographs; train control and information systems; batteries; and valves - either reconditioned or replaced.
Dean Duthie, Engineering and Infrastructure Director at Avanti West Coast said: “This award is a testament to the hard work that our Pendolino team, together with Alstom, have put into improving maintenance regimes, reducing train faults and ensuring that the iconic fleet delivers a reliable service for our customers.
“Over the last two decades, this fleet has become synonymous with the West Coast Main Line and by winning this award, shows that these iconic trains which have travelled hundreds of millions of miles are still going strong today.”
Alan Fravolini, Project Director at Alstom said “We are delighted to share this award with Avanti West Coast. It is a great representation of what mature collaboration can bring about and is a great reward for the hard work and focus provided by our teams over recent times. This gives us a great foundation to build on where we will see further improvements going forward.”
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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/