Avanti West Coast Rolling Stock Updates

[Ben Anslow]

What in the cheap is this standard first group style

 

[Bletchleyite]

Those armrests indeed don't seem to be wearing well, nor do the folding tables. Suspect they'll need replacing under warranty (they surely can't be specced to wear/fail that quickly).

As for the vinyl, someone's pulled that off.

 

[The_Train]

Yes 390040 went in last weekend and 390016 is doing this today:

VW946
EdgeHlDHS		06+04	5R18
Lime St	06+14	06:43	1R18
Euston	08:56	09:43	1F16
Lime St	12:04	12:43	1A40
Euston	15:03
VW116
Euston		15:36	9G30
New St.	16:57	17:47	1B56
Euston	19:06
VW936
Euston		19:43	1F36
Lime St	22:04	22+28	5F36
EdgeHlDHS	22+38

According to Realtime Trains 390016 is on 9G30 1536 London Euston to Birmingham New Street today (Thursday 23 November 2023) so it has returned to traffic. 390040 is not in traffic today so presumably at Widnes as predicted above.

Edit:

Just been beaten to it by Triumph who posted while I was typing.

Thanks both

 

[Carlisle]

Those armrests indeed don't seem to be wearing well, nor do the folding tables. Suspect they'll need replacing under warranty (they surely can't be specced to wear/fail that quickly).

As for the vinyl, someone's pulled that off.

Yes noticed that, there’s a few armrests & folding tables missing & vinyl appears damaged in quite a few toilets.

 

[Mikey C]

Having travelled on both a refurbished 11 car unit and an unrefurbished 9 car unit (390005), the difference was striking. For info the USB charger for my seat didn't work, though the one for the next seat to me did!

 

[Jamesrob637]

There's no consistency though. The 07:35 Manchester to London on the 17th was an unrefurbished 9-car, but last Friday it was an 11-car which can't have been anything but refurbished. I know the chances of an unrefurb are slimmer by the week, but June 2024 can't come soon enough.

 

[route101]

There's no consistency though. The 07:35 Manchester to London on the 17th was an unrefurbished 9-car, but last Friday it was an 11-car which can't have been anything but refurbished. I know the chances of an unrefurb are slimmer by the week, but June 2024 can't come soon enough.

I got a 9 car unrefurb on a Glasgow bound service other week.

 

[The_Train]

Having travelled on both a refurbished 11 car unit and an unrefurbished 9 car unit (390005), the difference was striking. For info the USB charger for my seat didn't work, though the one for the next seat to me did!

On my last trip on a refurbed model, I had the first experience of the wireless charger not working at the table I was at

 

[507021]

Just travelled down to Euston on 390130, my third refurbished unit, but first time in the updated first class. My co-passengers and I were all really impressed, so hopefully it's another refurbished 390 for the return trip tomorrow. The excellent refurbishment really has transformed these units, in my view.

 

[The_Train]

390040 is now back in traffic - anybody know which unit is now in Widnes please?

 

[SansHache]

390040 is now back in traffic - anybody know which unit is now in Widnes please?

390039 is currently in-work at Widnes and due out next weekend (16th December).

 

[The_Train]

390039 is currently in-work at Widnes and due out next weekend (16th December).

Thank you

 

[TT-ONR-NRN]

390006, 390009, 390016, 390039, 390040, 390044, 390045, 390050 as of yet then.

 

[Jamesrob637]

390006, 390009, 390016, 390039, 390040, 390044, 390045, 390050 as of yet then.

Yes, I guess, you're counting the one currently in the shed too, so I guess nobody will ever travel on that again in its original state

 

[1nvicible]

You can add 390005 to the list, spending Christmas in Widnes.

 

[Jamesrob637]

Any news on how many unrefurbished 9-car sets remain in traffic?

 

[greeny11]

I was on 390020 this morning which is still unrefurbished. I also saw 390002 and 390011 out and about.

 

[Triumph]

12 sets still to do.
390001/002/008/010/011/013/020/042/043/046/047/049

 

[Jamesrob637]

I was on 390020 this morning which is still unrefurbished. I also saw 390002 and 390011 out and about.

I'm travelling in 2 weeks (2 weeks yesterday and tomorrow to be precise) so theoretically at least one more set will be refurbished and one more in works, over today's situation.

12 sets still to do.
390001/002/008/010/011/013/020/042/043/046/047/049

Many thanks!

 

[The_Train]

Anybody know when 390039 came out of Widnes please?
And whether 390005 is still there, and if so, with any other units?

 

[reecestrains]

All the Pendolinos that I've been on, except 390049, have been refurbished.

When are we looking at all of them to have completed refurbishment? Later this year?

 

[AJDesiro]

All the Pendolinos that I've been on, except 390049, have been refurbished.

When are we looking at all of them to have completed refurbishment? Later this year?

It’ll be around the middle of the year for every unit to have had the base refurbishment. The vestibule/reservation display refurb will likely finish slightly later than the main work.

 

[Triumph]

Anybody know when 390039 came out of Widnes please?
And whether 390005 is still there, and if so, with any other units?

390039 came out of Widnes on 16/12/23 and 390005 will be out tomorrow, should be replaced by 390001.

 

[danbarjon]

It’ll be around the middle of the year for every unit to have had the base refurbishment. The vestibule/reservation display refurb will likely finish slightly later than the main work.

I wonder if they will include new announcements to match the 805/807s.

 

[TT-ONR-NRN]

I wonder if they will include new announcements to match the 805/807s.

I hope not. Emma Lintern has really grown on me, whereas Justine Harris’ recordings for the Voyagers are so soulless.

 

[AJDesiro]

I hope not. Emma Lintern has really grown on me, whereas Justine Harris’ recordings for the Voyagers are so soulless.

A few months ago, Avanti retweeted a tweet from a voice actor called Tanya Rich with a recording of some new announcements, the tweet was later deleted. Presumably these will be the announcements on the 80x fleet, and probably the 390s.

 

[Energy]

New destination displays found on a 11 car pendolino. The LED sticks out slightly, the dot matrix back-light all work but I still feel that changing the display to a white text on black would have been a much better improvement. Still overall the pendolino refurbishment is great.

 

[The_Train]

390039 came out of Widnes on 16/12/23 and 390005 will be out tomorrow, should be replaced by 390001.

Thank you

 

[1nvicible]

New destination displays found on a 11 car pendolino. The LED sticks out slightly, the dot matrix back-light all work but I still feel that changing the display to a white text on black would have been a much better improvement. Still overall the pendolino refurbishment is great.
View attachment 149740

Only a few of the refurbished 11 cars have got the new display system. The rest are being retrofitted at Liverpool.

 

[MattSGB]

On my last trip on a refurbed model, I had the first experience of the wireless charger not working at the table I was at

Of the six journeys I have completed in refurbished (mostly standard premium) carriages, the wireless charging only "worked" twice. On some journeys the power sockets were also dead in the entire carriage.
Modern wireless QI charging can be pretty quick. However, the antiquated junk that Avanti have installed seems to only use the base profile for a maximum of 5 watts. In practice you'll be lucky to maintain battery levels, let alone to charge up.
If they didn't even adequately specify and test the usability of the showcase wireless charging, it is of little surprise that the seat materials are wearing out already.