Avanti West Coast's Refurbished Trains

Avanti West Coast have started to refurbish their entire fixty-strong fleet of Class 390 Pendolino Trains. The first one is already in service, but I was invited up to the Alstom Depot in Widnes, Chesire to see the work in progress and one of the new units up close and learn about what's changed.
Avanti have more info on their website: www.avantiwestcoast.co.uk/whe...
With thanks to Becky Kukla for her additional camerawork.

[@philh1462]

These trains are immense machines, flying up and down the WCML for twenty years. They STILL feel cool, they cover ground at an astonishing pace, and they have always felt like a proper long-distance train. Great to see them getting the update they deserve. Hopefully another twenty years of them to go.

[@cjsutcliffe]

Hopefully replaced and displaced to lesser duties (possibly exported) in the 5-10 year timeframe, great technology demonstrator, but a ‘mk2’ could polish out a number of design flaws which compromise it’s passenger comfort and bring about operational efficiencies. Chiefly the floor height to accommodate the tilt tech within the loading gauge, which goes on to limit window height and position. Greyrigg showed that the design is solid from a safety point of view but look at what could be possible using composite materials and learnings from aerospace in the past 30+ years since these were designed (less weight, bigger window openings). Of course none of this logic will win out, it never does in the U.K. so maybe we just be quiet and be grateful that they have (hopefully) fixed the constant poo smell…

[@richardwilliams5442]

Respite potency trained and straight away channel 21 channel video for trains Harper Castle the water boat I've bought play stations tractors pictures Circus richard willliams

[@ianmcclavin]

And they're no longer Virgins...!!

[@noeonoohno4219]

unfortunately standard class doesn't feel long distance. terrible legroom, cramped, tiny table, it's not nice to take it to glasgow.

[@rogerclark5869]

Agree better than Azure on my line LNER.

[@retro61]

Geoff has increased my train based YT viewing exponentially. Never realised how much of it I'd want to watch before I found his channel back in the before times

[@westlondontransportwildlif5810]

It's great to see the 390s getting a refurbishment as I think they needed one. Even before the refurbishment they were good but I think they do need an upgrade as it has been a while

[@jethromaris624]

I rode on a 390 last year and they where fine in terms of comfort. However, the upgrades look smart and the trains actually look like avanti trains now not rebadged virgin trains. Like the idea of the smart seat system.

[@rjjcms1]

I wish a lot of other companies and branches of officialdom would listen to their public as attentively as they have. Three cheers!

[@patrickswan4537]

Just last week did a Rugby - Carlisle return on Avanti, first time in ages. Trains were very tired and shabby, so great to see this refurb. I'd also forgotten how narrow, cramped and claustrophobic these Pendolino cabins are, but I can't imagine that will change.

[@kevg707]

full of passengers and standing in the aisles id say prob not much different

[@bfcmik]

The UK train gauge is so small that the cabins fill the maximum permitted dimensions. They are a bit lower than classic BR carriages because of the aircon fittings on the roof.

[@mikehindson-evans159]

@@bfcmik Plus the cantrail is inset/narrower to allow for tilt, which enables the Pendolino fleet to cruise at 125PMH and therefore overcomes (some of) the limitations of the twisting legacy West Coast Mainline.

[@suburbia2050]

Only HS2 can change the dimensions issue!

[@MrSmith1984]

@@bfcmik That's why the current HS2 plans are a missed opportunity. Mainly because the trains they would be using will be "British" Loading Gauge Trains...when they should be using trains with a much higher loading gauge instead.

[@neilburns8869]

The new interior reminds me a little bit of the Transpenine Express Nova 1 & Nova 2 with the blue seating. I expect that the new extendable trays on the back of seats with a power socket will be handy for people who are looking for that feature. The seat availability screen at the end of each coach is a very useful idea.

[@stevek6432]

the seat reservations over the seats on the transpenine 802s is good as well, red reserved, green not, much quicker to see where you can / can't sit

[@jameskent8gmail]

I think the new seat padding and headrests sturdiness are now standardised by DfT across the network

[@mikehindson-evans159]

Thanks Geoff; a very useful update on the refurb programme. I loved your "fixty-strong" conflation in the introduction! More, please and thank you.

[@ThatRomyKate]

I’ve spent so many journeys on the Virgin trains from Euston to Coventry that when you went in the balloon toilet I actually had a smell memory 😆 I have a fondness for the red, but these look nice. Nowadays though the cost of a ticket means I usually end up on the slower London Northwestern ones instead 😢

[@chrisanderson8784]

i used the Avanti 1st class product today from Crew to London Euston.....very good indeed 🙂 I'm amazed at how quick these 390'S feel....great units. Great video Geoff - as always.

[@johnledingham852]

Liked the coverage very much indeed. And I think what made the whole video a winner was your enthusiastic input. I'll definitely be following up on the project through your channel. Thank you Geoffrey, much appreciated in Oz!

[@samsungw200]

Cheers Geoff I love these videos, nice inside look at the parts of the railways people don't see.

[@anniesoernym]

I always really enjoy your editing, Geoff! Literally "ooooh!"ed at your 10:00 - 10:01 entrance. Top stuff as always!

[@geofftech2]

ah thank you! I like slick edits and put a lot of work into them - it makes me happy when people notice !!

[@TheSm0wman]

Just popped back to review and I see what you mean - it really is so slick and so smooth that it was easy for it to slide beneath my awareness level. There's something Catch-22 about your very best work being the least noticed!

[@derekstuart5234]

It's interesting to see the 'shop' is going back to a more traditional design, which worked well for decades.

[@timothyleberl1202]

Amazing video as always Geoff, the refurbishment looks amazing, I must take a trip on this very soon when a few more have been completed and put back into service 👍

[@moe_1886]

Very nice Geoff! The seats look great and wireless charging on the tables is a great feature, along with all the power and USB points too. Might have to do a London to Edinburgh trip and hopefully catch one of the new refurbished trains later this year! Exciting stuff! Thanks Geoff!

[@TheRoboRyan]

Hey Geoff, I live in Runcorn and its nice to see it getting some screen time once in a while. Even if it's just the bridge 😁

[@arnoldspottingvideos5269]

Love the Refurbished on the pendolino. Great stuff Geoff 👍

[@havingalook2]

Very impressive, I look forward to using these in the future. Well done.

[@railenthusiast88]

Great video! I was actually travelling on one of the old sets yesterday! Living in London but from Manchester I agree the sets are now looking quite tired and dated compared to other stock on the network. The refurbishment will give them a much needed new lease of life. The extra luggage space is also appreciated.

[@RH117]

The door display panels use type D industrial/commercial cables and connectors known in the entertainment industry as DMX-512/STM-32 (3-pin) / XLR-3 standard with EIA-485 (RS-485) as its signalling control layer. Several of these display boards on trains and in stations either use modified entertainment technologies or derived technologies.

[@TheDaf95xf]

Morning Geoff. Great seeing the 390s getting a make over as they’ve worked so hard compared to say a class 86 with MK2 coaches lol 😆 We’ve bought a new home 🏡 that backs onto the West Coast main line just north of Preston at Barton and see 390s wiz passed all the time 👍🏻

[@tenterdentown2452]

Unusual video covering an intriguing topic. It is interesting to people like me who live in a part of the country where the Pendolihno does not run and who have no opportunity to see this train! Thanks for uploading.

[@gkeaoyrge]

Looking alright although I think I preferred the previous shop design. Seems to be a much more minor refresh than was originally promised. More importantly though, it would be nice to visit somewhere spur of the moment and not have to plan months ahead to get a reasonably priced ticket. Otherwise, you’re looking at a ticket costing much more than many international flights.

[@DOSeater]

Spur of the moment travel via any type of transport is going to be expensive

[@TalesOfWar]

@@DOSeater It's kind of an extreme on these things though. We have among the highest rail prices in Europe and one of the worst services.

[@derekstuart5234]

@@TalesOfWar agreed and it's the same with buses. As someone who used to work in railways and now manages a bus/ coach depot, I can agree entirely with you. The cost per mile for rail or bus is eye watering compared to flying or shipping. Why? Rail is almost fully regulated commercially speaking- though open access rail operators are les regulated and so are cheaper. Despite what you might think, bus fares are distorted by government policy. Aviation and shipping on the other hand are, from a commercial point of view, entirely deregulated and UK offers some of the lowest £/mile anywhere in the World. NB no politics intended- both parties are as bad.

[@maplady572]

Really enjoyed this behind the scenes insight! I haven't travelled on an (as was) Virgin train for quite a while so I will have to take a detour via Tamworth on a visit to London sometime when these are in service. I really liked the Virgin shop carriage so I'm looking forward to seeing what Avanti do with it!

[@lindabroughton1903]

Worked on the Liverpool/Euston/Manchester/Euston services, in the late 90's. Loved the route, colleagues and customers.

[@geoffmeehan9723]

Fantastic thank you brighten up my evening.

[@atmrtwbike]

Absolutely love the Pendolinos. When they were introduced by Virgin Trains they were a massive step ahead, but time has now caught up with them. Love the refurb!

[@KempSimon]

Having travelled the full length of the West Coast Main Line, and from London to Birmingham, Liverpool and Manchester in Mark 3 carriages hauled by 110mph Class 87 electric locomotives - as often as not enjoying lunch in the First Class Restaurant Car whilst travelling on a Standard APEX ticket - I'm by no means convinced that the cramped and claustrophobic Class 390 Pendolinos really were "a massive step ahead" compared to what British Rail had to offer.

[@PokhrajRoy.]

I’m so happy I’ve arriving relatively early to these videos.

[@collectivelyimprovingtrans2460]

This has to be the best video where I can learn about these new refurbished trains

[@cd0u50c9]

Good to see these trains getting a refresh! Absolutely welcome more luggage storage and sockets for every seat, but the light head rests and the new shop are probably going to show their flaws fairly soon once these trains go back into service...

[@Carlover10183]

Pendolinos are the best :D

[@roderickmain9697]

Good job, Geoff. Interesting to see the changes. Might have to check out the shop again when its fully fitted and equipped but i think I get the idea.

[@railwaybenefitfund]

Our Railway Benefit Fund Pendolino is looking amazing! Great video Geoff!

[@sixtysecondvlog]

I'm travelling on an Avanti train in a couple of weeks time. Looking forward to seeing this in action!

[@cjsutcliffe]

It’s a very slim chance that you will see the new interior on that journey given that only a couple of the fleet have been given the treatment so far…

[@davidgibson1978]

Great to see improvements being made to rolling stock. I had to travel for work recently by Avanti from Euston to Wigan before changing trains to continue to Southport. The Avanti trains were very clean and I am sure these improvements will make a huge difference to the travelling public. The best thing would be increased power sockets and full laptop sized table flaps for those who need to work on the train. Thanks Geoff for another great video.

[@kinsingfan905]

These trains of a Pedoino.

[@SocieteRoyale]

I hope they stop the toilets from stinking so badly! That said I always enjoy travelling to London on the 390s from Lime Street, a nice quick and speedy journey with some lovely views as you cross the Mersey, the trains still feel futuristic, especially with the airline/rocketship window vibes and the tilts

[@davidrivett4426]

Just a simple ask, when designing seat layout one day a train operator might just ask for the seats to line up with the window. Which is even more difficult with 390s and their airline size windows. I'd prefer to look out and not at the interior for my journeys!

[@mightymartinpetrov]

Same here. It's a real crime that seats end up with no window. (I've had the same problem on TGV and Eurostar too) The difference between being able to see out and not seeing out is huge.

[@highpath4776]

Some of us dont like windows , I just need a snooze seat

[@davidemmott6225]

@@highpath4776 it would be interesting to have a survey of how many people actually prefer that. I can't understand it, but having travelled to Durham several times (not Avanti in case anyone comments) I've been amazed to see so many people glued to their phones instead of looking at one of the most stunning views in Europe.

[@extrude22]

Would you rather have seats that line up to windows or as many seats as possible?

[@MercenaryPen]

@@extrude22 personally I'd go for seats that line up with windows- given my leg length I'd appreciate the additional legroom

[@Samantharhylielloyd7652]

YAY!! thank you I asked so many KZbinr to do this video to Liverpool lime Street on the pendolino and your the only KZbinr who has done it thank you

[@ghighlandchieftain4462]

Brilliant video I love 390s trains and I like old they were . I can't wait to see new refurbishment if come to glasgow Central

[@Sim0nTrains]

Flappy Tables.... guessing that be a new t-shirt somewhere down the line and I'm guessing that the prices in the shop have gone through the roof! All puns aside I have heard good reviews on the interior refurbishment of the Pendolinos when 390125 was rolled into service and love the new first class headrest as well, great video Geoff.

[@Professor_sckinnctn]

Wow. I'm on a train in about a month from Euston to Liverpool… hope I get to ride one of these new ones! So nice!

[@trainman305team]

Awsome, can’t wait to try it out my self

[@AaronD_]

LOVING the refurb, nice video, you even got on a train to my city (liverpool)! perfect video combo

[@collectivelyimprovingtrans2460]

I feel so lucky that he gets to see all these cool trains

[@daviddirom7429]

Another great video, I love the interaction with Geoff and the staff, Nice one Richard and the magic table (movie maybe?)

[@kinsingfan905]

Avanti West Coast

[@kinsingfan905]

如果佢自己會長

[@kinsingfan905]

Cross Contry (Class 390+221)

[@kinsingfan905]

Trains

[@Del-bm]

Great insight into how they fit them

[@criispereyra]

Great video! greetings from Argentina 🇦🇷😊

[@HenrysAdventures]

Great to see you Widnes the Pendolinos being refurbished!

[@PeterGaunt]

I like the nod to The Man In Seat 61 on the empty seat indicator 🙂

[@100SteveB]

Sadly I am old enough to remember when trains had proper sprung seat cushions that were really comfortable to sit in for hours. All long gone now, replaced with rather firm foam seats that are nowhere near as comfy. Mind you, I guess these are so much easier to maintain and keep clean.

[@vicsams4431]

I am too. Mark 1 compos on the WCML with a Roarer on the front (Class 81 - 85). Liked the Mark 2, and legendary Mark 3s. I think things went downhill with the Mark 4 and Mark 5. But all are better than a kart (EMU).

[@isaactimmins8959]

@@vicsams4431 though you both have the nostalga goggles for the old stock the newer stuff does have one advantage wheelchair users are treated like humans not luggage,

[@TalesOfWar]

@@vicsams4431 It's a shame they didn't keep the comfort while (MASSIVELY) improving the safety of the newer coach classes. The 1's and 2's were death traps and the 3's while better still aren't amazing.

[@kenstevens5065]

@@TalesOfWar The fixed centre armrest and table on the mk3 were terrible for taller people like myself to get in and out. The overall comfort, ride and noise levels were great though. British Rail made some good stuff. Its a pity they were starved of orders and unable to survive in tact after privatisation probably because of that. At least I can only see a bright future for rail as I don't think private motoring will be affordable for so many people in the future.

[@physiocrat7143]

@@TalesOfWar Death traps? How many deaths? How many passenger miles?

[@ReubenAshwell]

The new interior on the Pendolino's looks nice. :)

[@joshhancill7273]

Prefer the old shop but love the warm lighting

[@TalesOfWar]

Nice to see these things get a refurb. They weren't all that bad before, just a little tired so it's very much welcome.

[@JohnTalbot-k6xi]

Really Nice People behind the Scenes making it happen

[@maxplanck9055]

Good to see trains being modernized where needed, the internet is not a new idea,trains should keep up with this to be viable a transport option. Great to see alstom are using gantry cranes and digital planning,a sensible way to refurb a train, nice job ✌️❤️🇬🇧

[@davidsheriff8989]

Great report as expected....

[@scottkenyonteaching]

Traveled standard premium it was really good and cost effective. I do both east and west coast travel considering how much better the LNER trains have been for some time it's nice to see this finally happening. Can't wait for it

[@TalesOfWar]

Each time I've used these to get to and from London from Manchester I always end up being in standard premium as I tend to book several weeks ahead. I've only been in standard once when I had to buy a ticket on the day (my wallet is still recovering from the shock of the price lol) and the difference is quite amazing.

[@ReecesTrains]

These Refurbed Pendolino's are looking great! Hope to try one out at some point!

[@gordnperrott7019]

Thanks!

[@deejayC]

Interesting video Geoff. Looks like a decent refresh of the interior. A lot less fridge space in the shop possibly means fewer products might be available? Compare to other long distance trains in the UK now (GWR and Cross Country I’m looking at you) where you can’t often even get a sandwich let alone anything hot, and you just yearn for the kind of food you see on The Dining Car on Twitter in Europe.

[@davidsedlickas8222]

Superb stuff

[@travelswithjess]

I like the new refurbished Avanti trains, they look very smart! Also, keep up the good work Geoff, your videos are very good 👍🏻 😊.

[@peterd788]

Angel Trains are Alstom's customer on this project. Avanti are just the current contract operator.

[@michaellittlejohns7968]

Great video

[@basiakurczab9084]

Hello Geoff marshal I’m Arjan the guy you met at London Bridge it was nice to meet you

[@relativenormality]

Just went on one of these yesterday in current (old) configuration to Coventry - they definitely need to be refurbished - carpet worn out and everything look at bit tired but the underlying vehicle is good and the ride is smooth

[@bullettube9863]

I just heard that Amtrak here in America will replace all of it's coaches from 1938 with coaches from 1958. In addition all trains will now be powered by the latest steam engines that were just discovered discarded in a man's backyard.

[@firesurfer]

5:53 I was literally doing exactly the same when I visited Universal studios years ago. Someone yelled, there is Lucille Ball! One of my lenses went flying when I turned around to look. It dinged up the filter threads, but otherwise was fine. Lesson learned. Put one lens away before installing another. I never got to see her.

[@rayob9131]

Looking forward to a trip on one these refurbished sets which, despite them being approx 20 years old, compare very well with the 800 series sets for passenger environment. Pleased to see that first class seats have not be changed to leather - ghastly change that was made to some HSTs and Mk4 vehicles. However, the seat reservation/monitoring gadget looks really interesting. The ability to reserve a seat easily may be a bonus for passengers but there are far too many reserved seats not taken up. This means that if you don't have a reservation, you need to walk along the coach and work out which seats most probably have not been occupied; this rather negates the green/orange/red light display which should guide you straight to an available seat.

[@nigelh4617]

5:16 Shame. I was looking forward to booking the Pendolin-opentopper.

[@ccktravis4128]

“Each seat finally has its own power point” Me trying to do a complete flop of a pun: “My computer has 20”

[@grahamhp]

Used the Class 390 Pendolino many times traveling up to Runcorn to visit my Son , good to see an upgrade coming along, the trains were getting a bit shabby and unloved with the new operator so that good news, Hope they have taken onboard what the customer really wants, lets hope the fare increase justifies the effort we will wait and see. Thanks for the video very interesting. I will be on one this month several times......

[@gavinsadventuresinterests.]

The new refurbished Alstom pendolino trains are going to look really nice inside when they are all fully completed. I really like these trains in general anyway because they are very smooth & very quite and also pretty fast as well. I believe these were the old trains that Virgin Trains used before Avanti West Coast took over the rail franchise a few years ago.

[@KempSimon]

It's not how "nice inside" the refurbished trains look, it's how comfortable they are to travel in that matters. All the way from London to Glasgow and vice versa.

[@gavinsadventuresinterests.]

@@KempSimon Sorry, obviously i forgot to mention that they need to be comfortable as well. My mistake.

[@MichaelSebastianTodd]

the refurb looks amazing and im now glad to see charging ports at every seat which is welcomed awesome work

[@user-ms7gt2km5f]

The biggest elephant in the room is the stink. The famous stink of toilet everywhere in the train. I hope that is completely resolved so I can breathe fresh air and enjoy the ride - if I could choose between everything else and just the smell I would choose to fix the smell. Surprised it is not a public health violation.

[@josephhughes1498]

The USB port that is being installed is already outdated annoyingly but at least we get the plug option

[@username9175]

Great video Geoff!

[@jacobporrett]

Looking good

[@tomwatts703]

I'll miss the old red and blue interiors but the brighter coaches are definitely a welcome improvement.

[@stevewalsh1987]

Having ridden a refurb up to Glasgow today and original back. I have to say the refurb is lush.

[@Northerner_Transport_Hub]

The seats feel so nice i thought i accidentally got in first or standard premium lol the refurb was really really needed

[@Class43Goat]

I haven't travelled via advanti before but I am planning to go frok manchester picadilly to london euston at some point so I look forward to travelling on one of these.

[@MQsCues]

Seats look good, the rest only looks marginally less chunky and claustrophobic, if at all - though the less rounded headrests might actually increase the claustrophobic feel. But I will say Avanti or Alstom seem to have somehow solved the grim toilet disinfectant smell that used to greet you upon boarding a Pendolino, even in the un-refurbed stock. Awesome to see this refurb-in-action, though - thanks Geoff!

[@BaggiesTMD]

They wasn't doing bad for a 20 year old unit with no major refurbishment in that time, everyone complainins about them but there a cracking train nice and smooth and the tilt is still pretty sweet to feel

[@171trains]

Ah... I love these units

[@michaelNCM]

I'm still impressed about a lot of thoughts were put into the interior during the heydays of Virgin trains, be it East Coast, West Coast or Crosscountry that still look a lot more spacious than the brand new Hitachi trains after 20 years.

[@afinecity1830]

Well good luck if they think that seating sensor software is going to work. Prepare for blank screens on most services. The larger luggage rack is good. The white seat covers seems unwise. But of course the main issue is the vastly inflated prices compared to Virgin! Anyone paying for first class now has more money than sense. Premium economy or whatever they call it is quite enough.

[@jamest4682]

This is the train that put me off long distance West Coast rail travel. I used to love taking the train to London, when they had the superb Mk 3 coaches - comfy low-height seats, plenty of legroom and large windows letting in plenty of light. Cue these Pendolinos and all of that changed overnight. The combination of cramped interiors, tiny windows (if you're lucky enough to have a window!) and sides that slope in to increase the already claustrophobic atmosphere, led to my first major panic attack on a packed Liverpool - London service. I have never used these trains since and, judging by this refurbishment which has done nothing to lessen the claustrophobic feel, I won't be using them now.

[@sebwilkins]

The windows are perfectly fine. Try being on an unrefurbished 350 or 323 if you're complaining about PENDOLINO seats.

[@curiousmatt]

Standard Premium confuses the heck out of me. I didn't even know it was a "thing". I got on the train on to what I though was first class (big 1 on the outside, etc), sat in "first class" and after a while wondered where the menus and table service was. It was only when my ticket was checked they pointed to the head rest where it said Standard Premium that I realised I was in the wrong place. If you've been travelling for years on the WCML in First, Standard Premium is too subtle a difference. I'll pay more attention in future!

[@stephenbagwell8275]

Some Pendolinos have already got USB sockets at Standard Class table seats. I hope improvements to the shop mean that there aren’t times when it can only take cash.

[@morzee94]

The flagship of the UK railways! I’m glad they’ve been given a fresh look.

[@PokhrajRoy.]

Geoff checking Moquettes is always so exciting. It feels niche although it shouldn’t be.

[@kenstevens5065]

Very interesting and informative as usual. I only ever travelled on this class once when it was Virgin and found the interior cramped not the restricted dimensions to allow the tilt which can't be helped but the perceived clutter of the standard class coach layout. I know one thing, the new interior and exterior upgrade colour schemes are 100%. Sorry, gaudy reds are no colour for trains ( nor was BR blue... oops!). This upgrade looks good.

[@tonys1636]

The old British Railways days had nice varnished/polished wood interiors and comfy deep sprung and horsehair padded seats even in 2nd. 1st were like armchairs in a club or at home.

[@kenstevens5065]

@@tonys1636 I agree and I had many journeys in the 1960's north to Newcastle on ECML in comfort in mk 1 maroon coaches behind a green locomotive, steam and then diesel, to my eyes they looked great and were comfortable. Thanks for the input.

[@tonys1636]

@@kenstevens5065 I think a lot of us are viewing things through rose tinted spectacles, maybe if operators made seats more comfortable, with more space and decoration more neutral, more people may be prepared to pay the cost of rail travel today. We are not cattle. I never thought I'd ever say this but re-nationalise, semi-state like in most of Europe. Mostly running to time with few cancellations, even Italian and Spanish trains, the Swiss and Germans are legendary for timekeeping.

[@nigelkthomas9501]

As I suspected. The seating looks very uncomfortable and hard. Long live the ironing board seat! I also suspect many seats/tables will not line up with the windows. How many times do these issues get raised then completely ignored?

[@LynxEE20]

I think the seats are still in the same positions as before (except where the luggage racks are bigger). The large areas of bodywork between the windows would make it difficult to align every seat with one without leaving large spaces between each seat.

[@declangaming24]

Agree with you the ironing boards are standard for lots of operators due to them being cheaper I like operators like GWR on first class in the HST castle sets or the class 801s have comfortable seats in standard class seats should be conformable and not ironing boards eg basic E leather or fabric with some decent padding so it isn't just when sitting back it feels like your sitting on wood.

[@AgentSquash]

They’re the same seats at Lumo, which are much better than those on the IET.

[@HFStuart]

@@AgentSquash Sitting on a spike is more comfy than an IET though so this is a low bar!

[@zepic9093]

I actually thought the government would force rail companies to put more comfortable seats in because of the complaints from the dreaded ironing board seats

[@GoranNewsum]

Slidey windows, slammy doors, we now get to add flappy tables to the mix!

[@harrisonsnazel7482]

Like the colour of the seats. It suits avanti west coast

[@richardmellish2371]

The new headrest looks as if it will stick even further into the shoulderblades of anyone who's a bit longer in the body.

[@ashleyjiscool]

You made my day Geoff

[@danielbliss1988]

Huge improvement, though an odd choice of color for the headrest. In general I did not like the Pendolino in its original configuration; these look like you can actually sleep on the train and move around and stow your luggage. One other point -- they seem to be going for the HST longevity record on these trains. This is a serious renovation for 20 years in.

[@kevg707]

depends if the seats are like the concrete Hitachi ones

[@AdrianBridgett]

The larger luggage stacks will make a big difference on the crowded holiday trips especially. Shame we don't get some form of USB-C to complement the USB-A. (I'd only hope for mobile phone power for USB-c, not "power my laptop 100W USB-c" to be clear!)

[@kpwnage97]

Not really much of an upgrade if I'm honest. Replacing a few seat covers, adding some new seats and plug... Still looks like it was designed in the 90's.

[@xxfyrezgamerxx6279]

These trains now look a hell of a lot better, and I live up the northwest of the uk in Carlisle, our train station was in control by virgin but it's now under control by avanti west coast, our train stations roof was also completely replaced around 2016, and the train station its self is getting an even bigger redevelopment soon quite a lot is going to be happening, the platforms have also just recently been replaced as they didn't look very good.

[@aviationfan2637]

Nice one Geoff

[@sjcsystems]

I don't travel on the WCML any more, however over on the MML, capacity for first class is at a premium and usually full on peak services. I'm concerned that Avanti are looking at reducing this but having the flex arrangement seems a better solution.

[@yorkshirewanderer6176]

Like the additional luggage space, but am I the only one that despairs when watching people pulling suitcases down the carriages even when they've just walked by on the way in a luggage rack thats completely empty, so wondering if it will actually get used.