Another fantastic day with Avanti

[All Line Rover]

Cancelling the last trains of the day from Edinburgh to London, Liverpool to London, London to Glasgow and London to Manchester. Looks like this week will be a repeat of last weeks st-show.

I thought the DfT agreed to allow Avanti to keep their contract on the condition that its reliability would improve?

West Midlands Trains have no staff shortages that passengers can see.

 

[paul1609]

I believe that OLR resources are fully utilised and nobody really wants to take on management of other TOCs short term in the current circumstances. So its Avanti or shut it down basically.

 

[duncanp]

Cancelling the last trains of the day from Edinburgh to London, Liverpool to London, London to Glasgow and London to Manchester. Looks like this week will be a repeat of last weeks st-show.

I thought the DfT agreed to allow Avanti to keep their contract on the condition that its reliability would improve?

West Midlands Trains have no staff shortages that passengers can see.

I like the way that Avanti say

You can travel on the Avanti West Coast service immediately before or after this train with your orginal ticket

So if they cancel the last train of the day, how does that work?

Yes you can book a hotel if you are stranded, but trying to claim the cost back from Avanti would be like getting blood out of a stone.

 

[Andrew*Debbie]

Avanti say there are newly trained drivers starting this month. Perhaps things will improve.

Just as likely the aspirations in the December timetable will prove impossible and things will get worse.

 

[jamess]

Last two Euston to Glasgows now showing cancelled

 

[Unstoppable]

1830 and 1930 London Glasgow are cancelled today. I am booked on the 1830 tomorrow. If both services are cancelled how would they get me home? Complimentary travel on the Sleeper or a hotel?

 

[londonmidland]

For anyone thinking of travelling via the ECML this evening, there’s currently major disruption due to cable theft in the Doncaster area.

I’m on this service and am running 60+ minutes late. Major disruption expected until the next of the day.

 

[GalaxyDog]

You're kidding me re WMT staff shortages? Tons of open driver turns and issues Friday and Saturday just gone. Today seemingly better sofar.

 

[43066]

For anyone thinking of travelling via the ECML this evening, there’s currently major disruption due to cable theft in the Doncaster area.

I’m on this service and am running 60+ minutes late. Major disruption expected until the next of the day.

That explains why the MML is so busy…

 

[All Line Rover]

I like the way that Avanti say

You can travel on the Avanti West Coast service immediately before or after this train with your orginal ticket

So if they cancel the last train of the day, how does that work?

Yes you can book a hotel if you are stranded, but trying to claim the cost back from Avanti would be like getting blood out of a stone.

In case anyone is wondering, this text is found on the "JourneyCheck" (Travel Information > Live Train Status) section of Avanti's website: https://www.avantiwestcoast.co.uk/travel-information/live-train-status

I agree, the information they provide is unacceptable. When the last train of the day is cancelled, they should be instructing passengers to call a number to book a hotel room, not "travel on the next service" (and, when a service at 10pm is cancelled, I expect to be able to travel on any convenient service the following morning, not be expected to catch the "next available" train at 5am).

It is also worth stressing that, particularly on Saturdays, almost every hotel in "central" London is fully booked. If a popular train is cancelled on a Saturday night, you would need to look as far out as Surrey/Heathrow/etc to find enough rooms to accommodate 600 displaced people.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 5 Dec 2022 ==

You're kidding me re WMT staff shortages? Tons of open driver turns and issues Friday and Saturday just gone. Today seemingly better sofar.

Local services in the west midlands might be different but, for the last few months, engineering works aside, their London to Birmingham and London to Crewe routes have been exceptionally reliable. Thank goodness this alternative is available! Also, unlike Avanti, they haven't hiked their prices.

 

[paul1609]

1830 and 1930 London Glasgow are cancelled today. I am booked on the 1830 tomorrow. If both services are cancelled how would they get me home? Complimentary travel on the Sleeper or a hotel?

Megabus have seats on their 23.00 service for £14.99 or easyJet from Stansted 21.00 at £90

 

[williamn]

There were at least two London to Glasgow's cancelled this morning too.

 

[gazzaa2]

You're kidding me re WMT staff shortages? Tons of open driver turns and issues Friday and Saturday just gone. Today seemingly better sofar.

LNR overcrowding at the weekend was horrific on the Euston services.

 

[507020]

Avanti managed to strand me at Euston after cancelling the last train to Lime Street (which I was booked on and also the last train to Preston) on Saturday 19 November with of course the Sunday service starting late the next day. Eventually they ran a train to Crewe only, not exceeding 35mph until north of Wolverton.

They just can’t conceive that people might actually need to get connections home from the InterCity station, e.g. to Southport. There were also passengers trying to get to Wem who could get a taxi, a couple trying to get to West Kirby who were told by a taxi driver that he would not be paying the tunnel toll and an exhausted mum with children who lived in Cockermouth and would have needed either Carlisle or Penrith, but no Avanti just dumps you at Crewe after midnight with no onward travel provided.

In January I want to travel to Falkirk Grahamston and intend to return on the last train from Motherwell to Preston or Wigan North Western. If it was cancelled could I bank on being able to use the sleeper a few hours later? It is of course the next train and at least from Preston there is an early enough bus I could get home on without having to wait around all night like last time?

 

[Class800]

I certainly have less confidence in Avanti than I did in Virgin West Coast. Even on the most shocking of days, with serious issues with the line in southern Scotland requiring single track running for a section, Virgin got me home. They cancelled all their west coast services from Edinburgh but authorised Scotrail travel to Glasgow where they had an organised queue and got people on services as soon as possible running an additional service terminating at Preston. I got into Euston very late at night, borderline for making my last connections to Woolwich Arsenal. Without hesitation, Virgin got me a taxi from Euston. Would I trust Avanti in such situations? Personally no

 

[jfollows]

It seems to me that Avanti prioritises saving money over customer service, whereas Virgin West Coast prioritised customer service over making money. In all my interactions (far fewer than many forum contributors) I sense a fundamental difference with attitude, most importantly that with Avanti my needs, as a paying passenger, are not paramount. Virgin West Coast was no virtuous organisation, it was there to make money, but its direction from senior management was completely different. It is sad that Avanti has not had its contract terminated, but I think this is primarily because doing so would involve a lot of politicians with a lot of work, which they don't like the idea of.

 

[Bletchleyite]

LNR overcrowding at the weekend was horrific on the Euston services.

I don't to be fair think LNR managed that very well. The 8-car Crewe service around 1900 (I forget exactly which one it was) left people behind (though if people had moved down the aisle you'd likely have got more on), but the following 12-car Northampton-Brum semifast had standing room available and seats after Watford. I actually think they might have done well to "cancel" the MKC stop (i.e. make it pick-up only) to prevent anyone going further north from being stranded, as I don't doubt a good many on board were headed for MKC with it being the fastest LNR service there.

The situation with Birmingham LNR services will improve from next week (strikes aside) because the through service will be increased to 2tph evenly-spaced, the best it's had since 2019, all 8-car throughout, so (because the Northampton connections were bad) that's an effective doubling of capacity. (And at good old Bletchley we go from 0tph direct to Brum to 2tph! )

 

[SuspectUsual]

I think this is primarily because doing so would involve a lot of politicians with a lot of work, which they don't like the idea of.

And for the government to admit it backed the wrong horse. Although I suppose nowadays they’d blame the “previous government” even though it was also Tory

 

[gazzaa2]

I don't to be fair think LNR managed that very well. The 8-car Crewe service around 1900 (I forget exactly which one it was) left people behind (though if people had moved down the aisle you'd likely have got more on), but the following 12-car Northampton-Brum semifast had standing room available and seats after Watford. I actually think they might have done well to "cancel" the MKC stop (i.e. make it pick-up only) to prevent anyone going further north from being stranded, as I don't doubt a good many on board were headed for MKC with it being the fastest LNR service there.

The situation with Birmingham LNR services will improve from next week (strikes aside) because the through service will be increased to 2tph evenly-spaced, the best it's had since 2019, all 8-car throughout, so (because the Northampton connections were bad) that's an effective doubling of capacity. (And at good old Bletchley we go from 0tph direct to Brum to 2tph! )

Will certainly help. The Trent Valley route from Crewe to Euston is really struggling while more passengers have gone there from Avanti.

There's a huge scrum at Crewe at the moment for Euston trains in general. Got one from Runcorn the other week that was comfortably loaded with plenty of seats. Then hundreds piled on at Crewe and plenty left standing with Stafford still to call.

 

[Merseysider]

Will certainly help. The Trent Valley route from Crewe to Euston is really struggling while more passengers have gone there from Avanti.

There's a huge scrum at Crewe at the moment for Euston trains in general. Got one from Runcorn the other week that was comfortably loaded with plenty of seats. Then hundreds piled on at Crewe and plenty left standing with Stafford still to call.

People who’ve given up on Avanti perhaps?

It seems to me that Avanti prioritises saving money over customer service, whereas Virgin West Coast prioritised customer service over making money.

Completely agree with this.

I imagine part of the issue is also that Virgin’s name carries/carried weight, onboard staff always seemed happy to help out, social media teams were fantastic, and despite the gimmicks I always had the impression Virgin wanted my custom.

But who the hell are Avanti?

A faceless brand. They don’t give a damn if you never use the railway again.

 

[Kite159]

People who’ve given up on Avanti perhaps?

Given up with Avanti and suddenly discovered the cheaper LNR service, which didn't take as long as they were expecting it to.

I agree with @Bletchleyite maybe LNR should make Milton Keynes a pickup only call on those Crewe trains, just to prevent the Milton Keynes passengers from crowding it out due to being non-stop. Also, it should improve when London - Birmingham goes back to 2tph, as the current timetable where the Birmingham train departs Euston a short time after the Crewe train meant passengers for Birmingham could take the Crewe train to Rugby to change for the Northampton - Birmingham train [when it ran] to get to Coventry & beyond 30-odd minutes earlier.

 

[Carlisle]

It seems to me that Avanti prioritises saving money over customer service, whereas Virgin West Coast prioritised customer service over making money.

Is that the same VTWC that resisted introducing much needed additional 390s until they could obtain favourable terms?

 

[Tetchytyke]

The 1930 Euston-Glasgow and 2110 Euston-Preston are now both running.

Of course anyone who made alternative arrangements is now going to be seriously out of pocket.

 

[The Prisoner]

I've just had a quick look at Avanti's twitter feed and they seem very comfortable leaving customers stranded by cancelling last services and offering no help. Telling people to get replacement buses that station staff insist don't exist or telling them they simply have to buy another ticket for the lottery and travel tomorrow despite last services being cancelled.

There are young vulnerable people being stranded hundreds of miles from home and are basically being told tough.

I thought the conditions of carriage meant they had to get you there? What happens when someone who can't afford a hotel sleeps in the station and gets attacked or worse?

Avanti truly are a horrible company.

 

[All Line Rover]

Still of no help for London to Manchester, and Edinburgh to London, passengers.

The 2110 to Preston departed Euston late around 2150, a mere 10 mins before the cancelled 2200 to Manchester. Had the 2110 been held for just another 10 minutes, it could have been used by passengers for Nuneaton, Tamworth, Lichfield, Stafford and Crewe, instead of everyone being sent to Birmingham airport for onward coaches!

What are these idiots at Avanti smoking!?

 

[3rd rail land]

I've just had a quick look at Avanti's twitter feed and they seem very comfortable leaving customers stranded by cancelling last services and offering no help. Telling people to get replacement buses that station staff insist don't exist or telling them they simply have to buy another ticket for the lottery and travel tomorrow despite last services being cancelled.

There are young vulnerable people being stranded hundreds of miles from home and are basically being told tough.

I thought the conditions of carriage meant they had to get you there? What happens when someone who can't afford a hotel sleeps in the station and gets attacked or worse?

Avanti truly are a horrible company.

I guess at this point the only way to get Avanti to change its attitude is a class action law suit or for something awful to happen like someone being attacked while sleeping at a station as a result of being stranded? Leaving people stranded and not paying for any sort of accommodation or alternate transport is truly awful.

 

[Welshman]

I like the way that Avanti say



So if they cancel the last train of the day, how does that work?

Yes you can book a hotel if you are stranded, but trying to claim the cost back from Avanti would be like getting blood out of a stone.

Also how does this work where the Avanti service is infrequent, as in North Wales?
If the 0551 Holyhead-Euston is cancelled, as sometimes happens, knowing you could have caught the previous 0448 as far as Crewe is of little help, unless you've got up at 4.30am to check!
As for the Avanti following 3 hours later - the 0855 from Holyhead - are you officially supposed to wait 3 hours for that?
On one occasion when this happened, I advised my wife to travel on the next TfW service to Crewe, explain the situation to the conductor and rely on his/her kindness, but be prepared to have to pay the extra to Crewe. As it happened, the conductor simply looked at her Avanti Only ticket - said wearily "Oh, is Avanti cancelled again?" and passed-on.
It would be less stressful if on the occasion of the 0551 being cancelled, Avanti said you could not only travel on the next Avanti service, but that ticket acceptance was also in place with TfW to Crewe, rather than hoping TfW will be kind.
But that means their considering their passengers' welfare.

 

[londonmidland]

Could be another day of disruption to Avanti services today, although admittedly not to their own fault this time.

Quite a few signalling issues/track circuit failures and broken rail(s) across the WCML this morning, as well as a bigger issue with the OLE being down, affecting some lines in and out of Euston.

 

[Jimini]

I’ve just been booted off at MK on the way south aye.

 

[Uzair]

On the 1111 MAN to EUS. TM has declassified the whole train and said he can't guarantee us getting to EUS, but should be fine to MKC. Wish I went to LDS instead and then LNER to KGX.