Avanti West Coast to enter public ownership in March 2027

Avanti West Coast is to be brought into public ownership from March 2027, with the Government citing persistent performance problems and infrastructure issues on the West Coast Main Line.

image: Avanti West Coast

Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander recently confirmed the transfer saying the Government would take control of Avanti's services “at the earliest opportunity” following the expiry of its current contract. The operator is a joint venture between FirstGroup and Trenitalia.

The transfer is part of the Government's wider programme to bring passenger rail services under public ownership. So far South Western Railway, c2c, Greater Anglia, West Midlands Trains, Govia Thameslink Railway and Chiltern Railways have already transferred, while Great Western Railway is scheduled to follow in December. Avanti will be followed by further transfers, with the Government expecting the programme to be completed by the end of 2027.

The Government said Avanti's performance remains below the industry average and that infrastructure problems on the West Coast Main Line are a major source of disruption. It plans to combine the transfer with a package of investment and operational changes intended to improve reliability.

An additional £10m is being allocated for power and signalling maintenance to be delivered by the end of 2027, on top of an existing £840m programme to address infrastructure problems on the route. The Government said infrastructure issues account for around one-third of delays on the West Coast Main Line.

The programme includes £50m of investment at London Euston over the next three years, while other stations on the West Coast Main Line are due to receive a further £10m by the end of 2027.

The Government also intends to improve connectivity on trains through the deployment of low-earth-orbit satellite technology, which it says will support more reliable Wi-Fi and 5G coverage.

The transfer will take place under DfT Operator Limited, the Government-owned company currently being used to bring operators into public ownership. These operators are intended eventually to form part of GBR.

Andy Mellors, Managing Director at Avanti West Coast said, “We’re proud of what we’ve achieved over the last six years - from refurbishing our Pendolino fleet and introducing our new Evero trains to running more services than ever before. Together, these improvements have given customers greater choice, more capacity and better connectivity, while we’ve continued to innovate to shape the future of the West Coast and wider rail industry.  

“Over the coming months, we’ll work closely with the government to ensure a seamless transition into public ownership while remaining focused on delivering for our customers and communities.”