AVANTI West Coast has welcomed its last refurbished Pendolino into its fleet at an event in Widnes.

The rail company’s £117m refurbishment of its iconic Pendolino fleet has now concluded after the final completed train went into service this week.

The departure of the last Pendolino from rail manufacturer Alstom’s Widnes facility marked the end of the project – the UK’s biggest ever fleet upgrade.

It has seen 574 refurbished carriages delivered in just over two years, at a rate of one completed train every two weeks.

The last train, 390020, entered into service on Monday, working the 8.43am service from Liverpool Lime Street to London Euston.

(Image: Supplied)

Customer benefits of the fleet overhaul include:

•             25,000 new, ergonomic Standard Class seats;

•             Conversion of one First Class carriage on each of the 35 eleven-carriage Pendolinos to provide more than 2,000 extra Standard Class seats;

•             The introduction of a new onboard shop;

•             Improved lighting;

•             Refurbished First Class and Standard Premium seats;

•             Greater use of technology with customer-friendly passenger information screens;

•             Additional luggage space in Standard Class;

•             Power points at every seat;

•             Refurbished toilets; and

•             New carpets throughout using sustainable British wool.

Andy Mellors, managing director at Avanti West Coast said: “The refurbished Pendolinos, together with our new Evero fleet, are a key part of our mission to transform rail travel for our customers on the west coast route.

“The Pendolino is an iconic train, and now even better than before, offering customers a much-improved travel experience, with innovation and sustainability at its heart.”

Peter Broadley, Alstom’s Services managing director UK who hosted an event at Widnes to mark the completion of the project, commented: “Alstom’s successful completion of the UK’s biggest ever fleet upgrade demonstrates our commitment to enhancing the journey experience for fare-paying passengers while, at the same time, supporting the growth of sustainable rail travel in the UK.

“This milestone highlights the dedication and expertise of our team at Widnes. They have worked tirelessly in partnership with colleagues at Avanti West Coast, Angel Trains and our wider UK supply chain to elevate the interior refurbishment of rolling stock to another level. We are immensely proud to see the entire Alstom-built Pendolino fleet returning to service in peak condition.”