£117m Pendolino refurbishment programme completed

Avanti West Coast’s £117 million refurbishment of its Class 390 Pendolino fleet has been completed, with 390020 the last set to pass through the Alstom facility at Widnes for its upgrade.

The UK’s biggest ever fleet upgrade has featured the refurbishment of all 56 trains (574 vehicles) in just over two years, at a rate of one completed train every two weeks.

The Angel Trains-owned Pendolinos have served routes between London, Birmingham, Manchester, Liverpool, Glasgow, and Edinburgh for 20 years.

The overhaul has included:

• New, ergonomic Standard Class seats - some 25,000 in total.
• Conversion of one First Class coach on each of the 35 11-car Class 390/1s to provide more than 2,000 extra Standard Class seats.
• A new onboard shop.
• Improved lighting.
• Greater use of technology, with passenger information screens.
• Additional luggage space in Standard Class.
• Power points at every seat.
• Refurbished toilets.
• New carpets using sustainable British wool.

“The refurbished Pendolinos, together with our new Class 805 Evero fleet, are a key part of our mission to transform rail travel on the west coast route,” said Avanti West Coast Managing Director Andy Mellors.

“The Pendolino is now even better than before, offering a much-improved travel experience, with innovation and sustainability at its heart.”

The £117m project was financed by Angel Trains, with Chief Executive Malcolm Brown saying: “A huge thank you to both Alstom and Avanti West Coast for making the UK’s biggest-ever fleet upgrade possible.

“It has significantly transformed our iconic trains, and I’m positive that passengers will enjoy the comfort and connectivity when they travel on one of our refurbished Pendolinos.

“This is exactly what the partnership between our businesses set out to achieve together. I’m certain that it will encourage people to make a positive decision to travel by train on the West Coast Main Line.”

Brown also confirmed that Angel Trains is sponsoring two apprentices to join Alstom’s Widnes facility later this year.

Alstom’s Services Managing Director UK, Peter Broadley added: “This project demonstrates our commitment to enhancing the passenger experience while supporting sustainable rail travel in the UK.

“UK suppliers benefited from 80% of the investment, showcasing the positive impact this project has had on our economy.”