Liverpool rail passengers will be among the first to experience one of the newly refurbished Pendolinos when it returns to service today.
The 56-strong Avanti West Coast fleet is undergoing a £117m upgrade programme, with improvements including new, more comfortable seats, a revamped shop and better on-board customer information. Passengers onboard today's (Monday) 5.05am Manchester Piccadilly to London service will be the first to travel on the upgraded Pendolino.
It then forms the 8.07am to Liverpool, and the 10.47am back to London Euston, where it will be welcomed by invited guests and Avanti West Coast colleagues.
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The remaining 55 trains will receive the same treatment as part of the upgrade programme, with the second set due back in service early next month. Rail manufacturer Alstom is undertaking the work at its new depot in Widnes, Cheshire.
The upgrade programme will run until 2024 when the last of the 56 strong fleet is expected to leave Widnes. The fleet is made up of 35 eleven-carriage trains, while the remaining 21 are nine carriages.
The former will undergo the refurbishment first, with one of the 11 carriages converted from First Class to Standard to provide more than 2,000 extra Standard Class seats. Once all 35 of the longer trains are finished, work will start on refurbishment of the shorter nine carriage trains.
Widely regarded as the UK's hardest working train fleet, the tilting, electric powered Pendolinos - or "Pendos" - have served towns and cities along the West Coast Main Line for close to 20 years, clocking up more than 270 million miles in that time.
Rail Minister Wendy Morton MP said: "The iconic Pendolino is back and better than ever before. This refurbished version of the classic fleet is a fantastic example of our cutting-edge rail network and how our railways are leading the way in creating a cleaner, more environmentally friendly and modern transport system."
Managing director of Avanti West Coast, Phil Whittingham, said: "This investment has been one of the key promises to our customers and they will see a dramatic transformation of our well-loved fleet. The refurbished Pendolinos look and feel like new trains with state of the art technology as well as brand new seats that promise best-in-class comfort."
Peter Broadley, Managing Director Services at Alstom said: "Our team at Widnes have created something amazing and we are incredibly proud of the final product. We hope it secures the future of the Pendolinos on the West Coast for many years to come."
The investment in the Pendolino fleet is just part of the changes taking place on the West Coast route. The ground-breaking Standard Premium has already been introduced, as has at-seat ordering for customers in Standard or Standard Premium, as well as an upgraded menu and bespoke service for passengers in First. A brand-new fleet of Hitachi trains will replace the diesel Voyagers from 2023.
