Avanti West Coast is introducing a new class, that sits halfway between standard tickets and first-class, although you can’t book the tickets in advance.

The Standard Premium class will offer roomier seats, more space and a guaranteed table. Passengers can also have food and drink delivered directly to the table via the company’s app. New seats, with leather headrests, are being installed in Standard Premium and First as part of a refurbishment.

The trains operate between London Euston, the West Midlands, Shropshire, North Wales, Liverpool, Manchester, Carlisle, Edinburgh and Glasgow.

The ticket upgrade ranges from £15 for Birmingham to London to £30 for Glasgow to London.

Booking is initially only available as an on-the-day upgrade to an existing standard class ticket, and at the moment, cannot be booked in advance.

The train operator is doubtless hoping to tap into the return of business travel where companies only cover the cost of standard class tickets, but the employee might be minded to pay a top-up on the day from their own pocket to have a more pleasant journey.

In this sense, it’s similar to the weekend upgrades offered by a number of train companies where a standard ticket can be upgraded to first-class on the day for a modest top-up payment, if there are spare seats in first class.

Standard Premium class seating

Across the rail network, first-class service at weekends tends to be reduced, so apart from nicer seating and — usually — a much quieter carriage, the fancy extras are not offered. Avanti West Coast is now planning to expand its weekday service, which mainly caters to business customers, to the weekends as well.

The train company is also at the same time though, reducing the amount of first-class seats in its trains.  One carriage on all 11 coach Pendolinos (the existing Coach G), will be converted from First to Standard, and with more seats in Standard that will increase each train’s seating capacity by 5%.

The first refurbished train is due to enter service in November 2021.

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5 comments
  1. Annabel Smyth says:

    A fair few train operators in Europe seem to offer multiple classes on their trains now – in some cases, up to four!

  2. Melvyn says:

    With attracting passengers back to rail then this plan helps to give a better experience to get people to keep coming back in the future.

    While freedom of movement now allowed means there is much pent up demand to visit relatives and of course grandparents to see grandchildren born during lockdown.

  3. JP says:

    So het up are we on avoiding class distinction that we’re now presented with this ‘standard premium’ mouthful rather than what,’second class’ perhaps?

    • Kevin Newman says:

      I was going to write the same thing, renamed first, second and third class

  4. Sue says:

    Much preferred Virgin nothing but issues with Avanti.

    As for upgraded trains it’s the same trains but headrest cover now has Standard Premium written on them

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