Extra trains, extra seats
Avanti West Coast’s summer timetable, introduced on 18 May 2025, raises its weekly service count by 3.3 % to 1,957 trains. The uplift delivers 28,030 additional seats, pushing total available capacity on the West Coast Main Line above the one-million-per-week mark.
Route-by-route highlights
| Route | Weekly uplift | Notable changes |
|---|---|---|
| Liverpool – London | +20 trains | Additional Lichfield TV & Tamworth calls improve Staffordshire connectivity |
| London – Birmingham | +3 weekday / +2 weekend trains | Hourly slots fill out evening peaks |
| Glasgow & West Midlands | +2 redirected northbound / +2 southbound | Blackpool paths repurposed for Scotland services |
| Holyhead / Chester – London | +2 mid-week, +2 Saturday, +2 Sunday (one extension) | New 05:33 Holyhead offers sub-09:00 Euston arrival |
“Running more trains and passing the million-seat mark restores customer confidence and supports modal shift,” commented Andy Mellors, Managing Director, Avanti West Coast.
Evero fleet now a quarter of all services
A key enabler is the £350 million Hitachi-built Evero fleet. The 23-set bi-mode order now covers around 25 % of diagrams, replacing Voyagers on Birmingham, North Wales and Scotland turns. Passenger-facing upgrades include:
- wireless device charging and enhanced Wi-Fi
- larger luggage racks and leg-room gains
- high-contrast wheelchair bays, improved PRM toilets
- more real-time information screens with Braille and large-print seat labels
Everos are also up to 30 dB quieter at station approaches, supporting air-quality targets at Euston, Birmingham New Street and Glasgow Central.
Looking ahead to 2025 H2 and bicentenary
Avanti confirms further capacity improvements are planned for the December 2025 timetable, dovetailing with events marking 200 years since the Stockton & Darlington Railway—the world’s first public railway to use steam locomotives.
Why it matters
- Rising Liverpool and Birmingham frequencies strengthen rail’s competitive edge versus domestic air and road.
- Early Holyhead–London connection targets business travel and tourism in North Wales.
- Evero deployment demonstrates tangible traction on decarbonisation and accessibility goals.
