A train operator has been granted an extension to its contract after the Government said there had been “significant improvements” to services.
It comes six months after Avanti West Coast, which operates on the West Coast Main Line through Lichfield Trent Valley, was put on a short-term contract and ordered to develop a recovery plan to address poor performance.
The Department for Transport says the company has now been given a six month deal after the number of services jumped from 180 per day to 264 on weekdays.
Since the introduction of a recovery timetable on 11th December, Avanti West Coast has also seen cancellations reduce by nearly a quarter in August 2022 to 4.2% so far in March, with more than 100 new drivers being recruited.
Transport Secretary Mark Harper said:
“The routes Avanti West Coast run are absolutely vital, and I fully understand the frustrations passengers felt at the completely unacceptable services seen last Autumn.
“Following our intervention, Rail Minister Huw Merriman and I have worked closely with local leaders to put a robust plan in place, which I’m glad to see is working.
“However, there is still more work to be done to bring services up to the standards we expect, which is why over this next six months further improvements will need to be made by Avanti West Coast.”
Mark Harper
The Department for Transport says that despite the improvements, further work is needed to “restore reliability and punctuality” to areas such as weekend services.
I must’ve blinked & missed these ‘improvements’. The reality is that we aren’t passengers or customers with Avanti – we’re hostages. Ill-served, overcharged, & held mostly in contempt. They have performed one miracle though – making many of us feel nostalgic for when Virgin ran the franchise.