West Coast Partnership

More efficient, lower-emission trains

To increase capacity and improve journeys, we’re replacing outdated diesel Voyager trains with 23 new trains to our fleet on the existing West Coast Mainline, so passengers can travel in comfort along the whole West Coast network. We will also refurbish the existing fleet to be as new so that across the Pendolino fleet, 25,000 news seats will be installed meaning a more comfortable journey for passengers.

Customer Service

In addition, our trains will benefit from:

• Better and more reliable free Wi-Fi for all customers
• At-seat wireless charging for electronics
• A brand-new on-board food offer – full of tempting treats from household names

As well as introducing new and better trains, stations across the existing network will be upgraded and several locations will benefit from better facilities including more car parking and greater accessibility.

We will also improve access to real time journey information, so passengers can be confident they’re up to date with their journey’s progress.

Clearer Fares

Simpler, more flexible fares and smart ticketing will allow customers to exchange or amend tickets bought from one channel on any other.

We’re also committed to repaying customers a proportion of the cost of their ticket when they encounter delays of fifteen minutes instead of thirty minutes for today’s passengers.

More Services

By 2022 we will offer more than 260 extra services each week, increasing seat miles by more than 10% compared with 2017/18. We will serve new direct services to destinations including Liverpool South Parkway, Walsall and Gobowen (for Oswestry), and offer more stops at stations including Rugby, Llandudno Junction and Motherwell.

Sustainability

• We will cut our fleet’s carbon emissions by more than 60%
• We will increase waste recycling to 80% with zero waste sent to landfill
• We will include free water refills as part of our catering offer
• We will also have staff dedicated to accessibility and inclusion to make sure we make a railway that works for everyone
• We promise no zero-hour contracts and will deliver the Real Living Wage for all sub-contracted employees
• We will provide more apprenticeships than ever before

People & Communities

FirstGroup and Trenitalia have unrivalled experience of the UK rail market and high-speed rail to bring to the West Coast Partnership, which will combine the organisations and communities that will make this network a success; both in its current form and with the introduction of high-speed services to the network.

We want to ensure our customers and stakeholders have a voice in shaping the future of their rail services and have plans to transform customer and stakeholder engagement.

High Speed 2

First Trenitalia will be a key partner to HS2 Limited, the Department for Transport, and other stakeholders to develop world-class high-speed services and maximise the benefits of the new infrastructure.

With HS2 Limited and other key partners, we will facilitate the design, development and operation of world-class high-speed services that will fuel economic growth and boost connectivity to key parts of the UK.

First Rail's extensive UK rail experience and Trenitalia's unrivalled experience of building and operating more than 1,000km of high-speed rail in Italy give us unrivalled experience to make HS2 a success once it is in operation.