Avanti West Coast Rolling Stock Updates

[dereksingh291]

what does first class look like on newly refurbished 390125?

 

[Bletchleyite]

Oh, is that what it is?

It looks like there are still plugs where the tabletop meets the wall though, unless that's an advertising sticker instead.

Plugs are needed too as phones with wireless charging are still in the minority and almost no laptops have it.

 

[FrodshamJnct]

what does first class look like on newly refurbished 390125?

 

[fgwrich]

I too was rather hoping for a little more than that - I've never been a fan of the central lighting set up used in both the Voyagers and Pendolinos (particularly with the 90s cigarette lounge appearance), and I do agree with @XAM2175 that the new seat backs make the standard class appear even more claustrophobic. As for that colour palate, the mint green headrest inserts are awful (I'm not sure who started this annoying obsession - GWR with LA16 perhaps?) the white headrests in the rather clunky named Standard Premium look frankly mismatched, and I too am surprised no new seat res system has been fitted - dare I say it, once good (when working) feature of the IETs.

 

[dereksingh291]

View attachment 110096

Thank You

 

[Huntergreed]

View attachment 110096

Identical to standard premium as far as I can see. One can only hope the catering offer will make up for the substantially inflated first class ticket prices compared to standard premium.

Are there any photos of the shop/TM’s office in Coach C?

I’m also curious, has the cab/cycle area layout been updated at all?

 

[fgwrich]

Plugs are needed too as phones with wireless charging are still in the minority and almost no laptops have it.

If it's anything like the wireless charging fitted to the SWR fleet, it's something more of a novelty than a useful feature to be honest! It's never been that reliable at charging my iPhone 13.

 

[dereksingh291]

seems very odd that the new first & standard premium interior on 390125 doesn't have the table lamps any more and i wonder if the same first class seats have been used again for the first and standard premium interior?

 

[Huntergreed]

seems very odd that the new first & standard premium interior on 390125 doesn't have the table lamps any more and i wonder if the same first class seats have been used again for the first and standard premium interior?

To be fair, the 390 was the outlier with the table lamps and, whilst I thought they were a nice feature, they’ve replaced these with a plentiful supply of charging sockets, which is more useful (given there used to only be 1 plug per 2 seats in the previous first class at the bays of 4)

 

[dereksingh291]

I wonder what coach c & g and the driving cabs look like on newly refurbished 390125?

 

[HarryL]

View attachment 110096

The headrests are a weird shape, they look like they've been lifted from a different frame design and forced onto the old ones (which to be fair they may have been). It's a small detail but the tables are so much better, I always hated the bright orange fake wood tables Virgin put into them.

The pendolinos have always looked like they were ripped straight from the 90s, with "bubbly" details like the rounded columns, everything circular, and the first class arm rests. This refurb has managed to slightly tone it down but they do still look 90s with more refinement.

 

[Bletchleyite]

I too was rather hoping for a little more than that - I've never been a fan of the central lighting set up used in both the Voyagers and Pendolinos (particularly with the 90s cigarette lounge appearance), and I do agree with @XAM2175 that the new seat backs make the standard class appear even more claustrophobic. As for that colour palate, the mint green headrest inserts are awful (I'm not sure who started this annoying obsession - GWR with LA16 perhaps?) the white headrests in the rather clunky named Standard Premium look frankly mismatched, and I too am surprised no new seat res system has been fitted - dare I say it, once good (when working) feature of the IETs.

They aren't mid green, they are beigey white. It is an effect of the light, just like the "green" on the vehicle end. See the one closest to the camera.

 

[Peter0124]

EDIT: --Deleted--

 

[JonathanH]

Those standard class seats look like Thameslink's lovely ironing boards

They don't. For a start, they don't have that shape at the top. They have a fairly thin back but that doesn't necessarily mean a lack of comfort.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Those standard class seats look like Thameslink's lovely ironing boards

I forget the name of them, but they are only otherwise used on Lumo.

 

[Clansman]

Those standard class seats look like Thameslink's lovely ironing boards

Same seats as the IETs just with a redesigned back. You can tell by looking at the base and armrests.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Same seats as the IETs just with a redesigned back. You can tell by looking at the base and armrests.

They are not Fainsa Sophias.

 

[fgwrich]

Same seats as the IETs just with a redesigned back. You can tell by looking at the base and armrests.

They aren’t - these, along with the LUMO seats are from Scottish based Transcal (the seat is the Aerolite).

Rail - Transcal

Transcal have unrivalled knowledge and expertise of the railway seating industry. Our rail division, Transcal Engineering, specialises in the design, engineering, and manufacturing of fully certified rail seating. As the UK’s foremost rail seating specialist, we can assist in every aspect of...

transcal.co.uk

 

[Furrball]

Are they actually anti Macassar in first or is it on the headrest itself?

Looks like the standard premium ones are just stuck on with no care and I wonder of it says first on the headrest underneath (thus catering form swaps between 1st and SP at weekends)

 

[py_megapixel]

I think the specific camera settings chosen are making the standard class seats in the image posted by @virgintrain1 look closer together than they really are.

Given the warm lighting, I do think they should have chosen warmer colours for the seat covers to make it match more nicely.

 

[HarryL]

I'm glad but surprised they toned down the orange on these, the voyager refurbs with the grab handles were a bit much but I was expecting them to do the same thing here. I will say the standard class moquette of the voyagers is better than this version though.

 

[XAM2175]

Plugs are needed too as phones with wireless charging are still in the minority and almost no laptops have it.

Hence my looking to find them!

 

[bramling]

The headrests are a weird shape, they look like they've been lifted from a different frame design and forced onto the old ones (which to be fair they may have been). It's a small detail but the tables are so much better, I always hated the bright orange fake wood tables Virgin put into them.

The pendolinos have always looked like they were ripped straight from the 90s, with "bubbly" details like the rounded columns, everything circular, and the first class arm rests. This refurb has managed to slightly tone it down but they do still look 90s with more refinement.

Must admit to agreeing with the view that what they’ve done is underwhelming.

If they’ve toned down any 1990s feel then they seem to have done it by doing a throwback to the 1970s, rather like the awful first class on the IETs.

Apart from the point about thinner seat backs (personally I’ve never found the Pendolino a problem on this, but perhaps I’ve always been in a priority row without always realising?), from the pictures I’d say I prefer the trains as they were.

The 90s and early 00s turned out some good interior designs - 365, 375, Turbostar (except the original MML ones), 175, 180, 350, 450, 444, Mallard (seat cushions excepted) to name the obvious ones. It’s a shame we have regressed so far.

 

[Skie]

Plugs are needed too as phones with wireless charging are still in the minority and almost no laptops have it.

I got a shock when I used my large battery packs built in wireless charger. For a pack that could do my phone from 20%-100 4 times, it had just 40% left after one wireless charge, so I'm glad laptops aren't adopting it. But all modern upper tier smartphones support it and have done for many years now, so it is pretty commonplace and convenient.

Main issue with it being embedded in a table is high end phones tend to have a camera protrusion which makes the distance between the charging loops larger, causing even more electricity to be wasted or to simply not charge at all. Plus if the surface isn't grippy or they aren't using Apples magsafe spec, as soon as the train tilts peoples phones are going to slide around.

 

[fgwrich]

I'm glad but surprised they toned down the orange on these, the voyager refurbs with the grab handles were a bit much but I was expecting them to do the same thing here. I will say the standard class moquette of the voyagers is better than this version though.

Yes, it does seem a little odd that they haven’t gone for the same Moquette as the Voyagers in these. Likewise for the teal coloured wall at the end of the coach too.

221 Avanti Interior

221102

flic.kr

 

[Trackman]

Agreed, hugely underwhelming (it took them 6-7 months do to that?)

Looks like they’ve done little more than they did for the voyager refurbishment, except they’ve replaced the old seats with a new type of seat. Certainly not the “transformation” I was hoping for.

Seats look quite uncomfortable (not much padding at all, they’re paper thin!)

Same here, looks like they have gone backwards rather than forwards.
Don't like the colours.
Was expecting a lot more.

 

[James90012]

Really suprised the reservation system hasn't been replaced - one of the weakest parts of the 390s with it still far too common to have completely blank screens.

Otherwise it's a relief to finally have sockets in standard and hopefully improved legroom.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Hence my looking to find them!

Under the seat is pretty usual now.

 

[Wapps]

I suspect some value engineering here. I am not sure they have done as big a refurbishment as they initially intended, perhaps in light of covid.

 

[dk1]

I suspect some value engineering here. I am not sure they have done as big a refurbishment as they initially intended, perhaps in light of covid.

I wouldn’t imagine Covid would make much difference. There’s long lead times & planning that needs to go into a refurb as complex as this. The rewiring alone must’ve been a big job.