Main line • Intercity • Great-Britain • Avanti West Coast
➤ Similar operators: Acela – Flixtrain – LNER – Lumo – ÖBB Railjet – WESTbahn
Note: this page is for educational purposes only. It is not a substitute for the official page of the operating company or manufacturer.
In brief
The Franchise Transition (2018–2019):
In 2018, as Virgin’s franchise was nearing its end, the UK government opened bidding for the new West Coast Partnership franchise. This franchise included not only operating the existing West Coast Main Line but also preparation for integrating future High-Speed 2 (HS2) services, which are planned to connect London and Birmingham in the coming years.
Combining FirstGroup’s deep experience in UK rail operations with Trenitalia’s expertise in high-speed rail, the consortium set out to modernise the West Coast Main Line under the Avanti West Coast brand. Their joint venture was designed not only to improve existing services but also to prepare for the future of UK rail, particularly with the advent of HS2.
Services began in December 2019, much to Virgin’s dismay. This was just on the eve of the pandemic, which nobody saw coming.
Operator: Avanti West Coast
Subsidiary / shareholders: 70% of First Group and 30% Trenitalia
Sector: Passengers transport
Type of service: Main line
International transport: no
First services: December 2019
Train type: Trainsets
Manufacturer(s): Alstom, Hitachi
Driver service: own
Officiel website: Avanti West Coast
Social media: :
Similar companies : LNER – Lumo – Railjet
Regular routes
➤ Route A London Euston – Birmingham – Crewe / Manchester / Carlisle – Glasgow / Carlisle – Edinburgh / Blackpool
➤ Route B London Euston – Birmingham
➤ Route C London Euston – Tamworth – Crewe – Wrexham / Holyhead
➤ Route D London Euston – Tamworth – Crewe – Liverpool Lime Street
➤ Route E London Euston – Tamworth – Crewe / Stoke-on-Trent – Manchester
➤ Route F London Euston – Tamworth – Crewe – Preston – Carlisle – Glasgow / Preston – Blackpool
Rolling stock (past and present)
Gec Alsthom
2000 – …
Hitachi
2024 – …
Birth of the enterprise
Virgin Trains Era (1997–2019):
Virgin Trains operated the West Coast Main Line for over 20 years, starting in 1997. Under a franchise agreement with the UK government, Virgin provided services connecting London with cities like Birmingham, Manchester, Glasgow, and Liverpool. Their tenure was marked by investments in modern trains and high-speed services (like the Pendolino tilting trains) and infrastructure improvements on one of the UK’s busiest routes.
The partnership between FirstGroup and Trenitalia began when the UK Department for Transport (DfT) announced the competition for the West Coast Partnership franchise in 2017. The aim of this partnership was to respond to various calls for tenders, not just the West Coast franchise.
The arrival of Trenitalia, which may have seemed surprising at the time, was in fact part of a well-defined strategy on the part of the Italian operator. Trenitalia is Italy’s primary train operator and is part of the state-owned Ferrovie dello Stato Italiane (FS) Group, Italy’s national railway company. It operates high-speed, regional, and international train services across Italy and beyond. In recent years, Trenitalia has expanded its operations in Greece, aiming to enter new markets across Europe. More recently, she begins operations in France on the Paris-Lyon-Milan route and in Spain under the name Iryo. Their involvement in the UK rail sector through Avanti West Coast was therefore part of this broader international expansion strategy.
This new consortium operator arrived at a time when questions were being asked about British rail policy. Fewer and fewer candidates were applying for tenders, and some, such as National Express, had even stopped to answer altogether.
Virgin Rail was almost certain to be the beneficiary of the new franchise, the UK government awarded in August 2019 the West Coast Partnership franchise to the FirstGroup-Trenitalia consortium, under the brand Avanti West Coast. The name “Avanti” reflects the forward-looking aspirations of the partnership, with “Avanti” meaning “forward” in Italian, symbolising progress and innovation. 🟧
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Main line • Intercity • Great-Britain • Lexical