Avanti West Coast has been awarded a short-term contract extension by the Department for Transport (DfT) despite its struggles with reliability and punctuality during parts of the past year.
The FirstGroup-owned operator deal was due to expire at the end of March but has now been extended until October 15. Transport Secretary Mark Harper said an improvement plan produced by Avanti West Coast after the DfT previously handed the operator a six-month contract renewal in October 2022 "is working".
FirstGroup chief executive Graham Sutherland said: "We are working closely with Government and our partners across the industry to deliver a successful railway for our customers and communities.
