First refurbished ‘Pendolino’ back in traffic

AVANTI West Coast’s No. 390125 has become the first of the 56-strong fleet to be released back into traffic as part of a £117 million upgrade programme. The work includes new seats, a revamped shop, and better on board customer information. Additional luggage space will be provided, while every seat will have a power point. There are new carpets throughout, and the toilets fully refurbished. A major change is that one First Class carriage in each of the 35 11-car sets will be converted to Standard. The upgrade programme will run until 2024 at Alstom in Widnes. Since their introduction in 2002, the ‘Pendolino’ fleet is estimated to have clocked up more than 270 million miles – equivalent to 500 return trips to the moon.