Avanti West Coast contract extension – Transport Focus comment

20 March 2023

Responding to the Department for Transport’s decision to extend Avanti West Coast’s contract for a further six months, chief executive Anthony Smith said:

“Passengers using Avanti have suffered poor performance for months now, leading to missed meetings, appointments and leisure events. In our latest survey less than half of Avanti passengers said they were satisfied with the information on delays.

“There has been progress but despite recent improvements, it’s disappointing to see Avanti is still falling short. Passengers will also be disappointed to not be able to book weekend tickets in advance for May and beyond.

“Avanti must continue to focus on improving reliability to regain passenger trust. We will continue to closely monitor the passenger experience.”