Passengers traveling by the West Coast Main Line will soon see a new-branded trains as Virgin Trains are conceding the line operations to Avanti West Coast, a venture company created by British FirstGroup and Italian Trenitalia.
The railway franchise planned to start on December 8th will be called simply Avanti that in Italian means “forward” and, as the parent companies’ representatives say, symbolizes moving forward and progress. This brand will also be supplemented with the slogan “Ready and fit for the future”.
The visual component for the Avanti West Coast brand will be an orange triangle. According to company, the logo reflects the fact that the 400 mile-long WCML connects England, Wales and Scotland. It was created by an international design agency with offices in London and Amsterdam and a staff of over 100 people.
The Avanti logo will be depicted on the Pendolino trains which will receive a green-and-white design outside and some refurbishment inside, and by 2022, the fleet of the Avanti West Coast will be completely renovated.
While the new WCML time-table stipulates over 250 trains a week, the company is planning to introduce new stops along the way.
As FirstGroup’s managing director Steve Montgomery said, the new franchise on the West Coast Main Line means a new milestone in railway operating.
