Avanti West Coast Reviews 

The wifi is dogwater. Never use again. Even my iPhone 1s hotspot is better

Booked via Avanti App Glasgow to Blackpool Pleasure Beach - changing at Preston and travelling with Northern Rail to Blackpool. The train was very cramped and claustrophobic. The return journey was a nightmare. 40 minutes before catching the train at Blackpool Pleasure Beach, I received a text via Avanti App saying your train at Blackpool Pleasure Beach is cancelled. Now we would miss our connecting train at Preston to Glasgow. As this station is unmanned we were had no one to advise on how to get to Preston in time to catch our train, we took a quick decision that we had no alternative but get a Taxi to Preston at the cost of £45
We contacted Avanti at Preston & Glasgow ‘ Not our fault contact Northern Rail’
Customer service is diabolical, leaving people stranded is not acceptable
I will think twice before using this company again

There is no a/c on the train - an issue staff acknowledged as known before embarking.
There is no food or drinks service - again known beforehand with no warning to buy anything before embarking.
There is no inseat power.
No way to get a refund under these circumstances on the website

Absolutely appalling service. Treat their customers with utter contempt. Trying to get home from Glasgow to London on a Friday afternoon.
Two toilets broken, No water, hot drinks or food available on the train anywhere, not even in 1st class, the train stank and was overcrowded to the extent the first class restrictions were lifted.
The fat controller then decided the customers who had already endured five hours of this hell could then be dumped at Warrington Bank Quay where they could endure a further three hours of hell on another overcrowded train.
The staff of Avanti don't care, the bosses certainly don't, the whole lot of the overpaid uncaring lot of them are holding the travelling public to ransom. Zero stars.

I WAS SUPPOSED TO BE IN COACH ESEAT 75 ON THE 10 am TRAIN FROM PRESTON TO EUSTON LONDONON THE 22nd June instead of 11 COACHS ONLY 9 ALL SEAT RESERVATIONS CANCELLED ALL SEAT TAKEN BY RUDE STUDENTS WHO WOULD NOT GIVE AN 88 YEAR OLD MAN ME A SEAT DISGUSTING

My train was cancelled so Avanti staff put me on the train directly before with a group of others. I then was told I had to buy a full new ticket by the manager and she’s not accepting it. She called the police said that there were aggressive passengers and had me kicked off. Avanti admitted it was a mistake and offered me £250. Then the same woman came up to me on my next journey and told me I’m a serial ticket evader and she wants my ticket, I explained that I’m not and can show evidence of this. So she called the police and said I attacked her. I was escorted off and she dropped the charges. Avanti offered me a meeting and cancelled with short notice and called the police on me claiming I’m a trespasser. I showed the police I was there for a meeting and then they told me to leave and I’m now banned from the station because Avanti have said so

London to Liverpool and back on 22 June, no first class catering in either direction. Was told on the outward journey to get a coffee and a bacon roll from the shop, I don't eat meat and the guy refused me even a piece of fruit cake "as it was not on the first class menu". The proper coffee machine at the shop was out of order and I was given a very weak instant coffee. On the way back 6 hours later not even told to go to the shop. I went, and asked for an espresso coffee, and was moaned at by the female shop person who very grudgingly banged it down on the counter. On the way back both of the toilets at the 1st class end were out of use, the next one not surprisingly had a long queue and the one after that had no soap. And these are very new trains. But at least the a/c was working and both journeys were fairly punctual, 4 mins late out and 6 mins late back. Certainly the staff I encountered were not an asset to the Company.

Travelled up from euston to preston on the 10.30 am with Avanti from platform 16 on monday the 22nd. The train was packed, with luggage, cases and small rucksacks strewn about blocking the isle and having to be put under tables restricting leg room, the reason for all this was the practically useless over head laughingly called a 'luggage' rack.
Which at about 10 inches high could just about accommodate a coat or jacket. What idiot designed this. Certainly not looking forward to my return journey on avanti trains.

Utter garbage! Late trains, slow trains, filthy toilets, filthy trains, ignorant, unfriendly staff. Crashes, signaling failure, every journey, every time, dangerous. They do NOT even deserve 1 star. The worst railway in the world!

The train manager from Chester to London Euston on 17/6 at 11.02am named John is to be commended and given 5 stars. He was cheerful & professional and stated info v clearly over speaker. Then when checking tickets his manner was so nice. He really deserves praise.
The train though on that journey and the return journey on 18/6 at around 2pm from Euston was stupidly hot!!! Very uncomfortable - please take note and stop saving money Avanti! Make your customers comfortable with air con and it would be 5 stars! For John though 5 stars!

Booked two First Class tickets on Avanti West Coast from London Euston to Glasgow Central on 19 June 2026.

Shortly after departure, passengers in Coach K were informed that there would be no First Class service due to staffing shortages and that refreshments would need to be purchased from the onboard shop. As customers who paid a premium for First Class travel, this was disappointing.

What was particularly concerning was being told by the conductor that he routinely advises people not to book First Class on weekends because it is “not worth it” and that Premium Class offers better value. We were also told there was little point in complaining as compensation would be limited.

While staffing issues can occur, I would have expected a more professional and customer-focused approach. Paying a premium fare and then not receiving the advertised service, coupled with a dismissive attitude towards customer concerns, left a very poor impression.

I have submitted a formal complaint and am awaiting a response.

The staff is extremely rude, a guy named Paul was shouting on us, compared to the white lady sitting next to us we could barely listen to what he was saying to her. He was being completely racist towards us, I communicated this multiple times that lower your voice, he was still very aggravated and said we are doing a fraud or something, a person not being aware and travelling for the first time is a fraud and if the white person does the same thing, its a mistake. Very disappointing
charged her less amount and charged us more. Worst experience ever

Hands down the best train company. Travel regularly for work and nothing compares. Food and drink quality is amazing and service brilliant. Thanks so much to Una for looking after us.

Imagine charging someone a £40 fine for being on an empty train one hour before the rush hour train they’d booked at peak price, with a straight face. (Especially when that train cost £250 for the day) Luckily we’re not all train conductors.

Disgusting. Cost Avanti £0 but as usually they cleaned up by bleeding commuters dry as they try to work

My train on the middle of my route was cancelled while I was on the train at Chester station, due to a fatality on the line. This is unfortunate and tragic however what a shambles in dealing with customers. After 15 minutes stationary passengers were told to get off the train and they had no idea how long the delay would be. After 2 hours of no updates a few coaches started to arrive to transfer passengers by road. This was absolute mayhem as by now 2 hours worth of passengers to Chester were backed up. You would have thought that someone would have organised that passengers who had been there 2 hours got the first coaches but no people who had just arrived mixed in. It was very scary with several hundred people at the front of Chester station pushing and shoving to get on the 2 coaches. No intervention from station staff it was a free for all. I arrived 3 hours late to Llandudno junction again shambolic were told to go into the station despite there being no trains running to Llandudno we were told to catch a bus! After 10 minutes a small mini bus appeared with not enough seats for everyone ! I subsequently put in a delay repay claim to have it refused as apparently I had missed the incident and travelled earlier!!! Are they serious my ticket has a time on it. What a patronising person who assessed my claim, how would I know all this if I wasn't caught up in it. I even have a photograph of the station cat as proof that I had to get off at that station. I provided times and a copy of the ticket, Im beyond disgusted that after the shambles of the lack of communication and shambolic transfer I am then told that I travelled on an earlier train, are they for real. I have appealed this decision if I am again patronised Im going to the ombudsman. What sort of a customer service department do you run! Disgraceful treatment.

I rarely took any trains until recently when I started a work project in Scotland which meant regular trips from Wolverhampton to Glasgow. I return on a Thursday on the 18:40 which is always 2 trains and always Avanti West.
I must have done this journey at least 10 times and the service gets worse and worse. The return train (usually the connection) is always delayed- if you’re lucky only half an hour but recently over an hour. Last Thursday we waited at Crewe for a replacement driver for 65 minutes - the current driver was just as frustrated as we were and had no idea what was happening. I can claim compensation but if I’m honest £15 or even £30 does not compensate for the fact that I’m arriving at home after midnight. The reasons for the delays seem poor excuses and the delays typically start around Lancashire through to the midlands at Crewe. If you’ve arranged someone to pick you up you may as well tell them to go home.
The reviews on here clearly highlight some major problems with Avanti West. Unless there are drastic improvements I really cannot see them being around beyond their contract.

Micheal at stoke on Trent went above and beyond for my friend who had left her bag on the train! He is a credit to the company and was so lovely and helpful!

On 27 May 2026 I was travelling on the Glasgow Central line from London Euston due to arrive at Glasgow at 1801. At 3.58 we disembarked at Preston where we were told there had been an incident on the line, and no further trains going North were expected until it had been cleared. Passengers were delayed for almost 4 hours and I finally reached my destination at 22:00 hours. What made it worse was it was a hot day and no refreshments were offered, not even a bottle of water.
I am told that I will be compensated £24.30 but this doesn’t even come close to the stress and inconvenience caused, not to mention the extra expense of buying additional refreshments. Making a claim, was not a straightforward process and I think Avanti could do much to improve the service. This is the third time I’ve made this trip and 2 out of 3 journeys were very problematic. In earlier years, I have made frequent trips from London to the north east using a different line and issues were virtually non existent. Very disappointed with this service.

The Avanti West Coast train was very comfortable in first class.
The train was on time and there was no delays.
The staff were professional on the train and they were polite, friendly, kind and courteous.

Train delayed due to issue with a bridge near Rugby, fair enough! But, train was absolutely rammed, it was mega hot (no staff ever came down the train so couldn't ask them to do something about it, would have lost my seat if I had gone to find them) and they did away with the seat reservations (booked a seat but it wasn't reserved). Total delay was 1 hour 25 mins & got £8 delay repay - seriously? 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣