Avanti West Coast

Company Overview

What customers complain about

Complaint categories

1. 1
   Punctuality, reliability and cancellations

   Delays and cancellations are the leading cause of complaints across GB rail, and Avanti has a particularly poor record: in November 2022 ORR data showed it had the worst cancellation rate of any operator, around 8% against a national average of 3.8%.

   Punctuality and reliability was the single most common complaint category across GB operators (17.7% of all complaints, Apr-Sep 2024) per ORR; Avanti's cancellation record is documented in ORR data reported November 2022.
2. 2
   Overcrowding and room to sit or stand

   A lack of room for all passengers to sit or stand is a recurring complaint on busy intercity services, particularly at peak times and during disruption or short-formed trains.

   'Sufficient room for all passengers to sit or stand' was the second most common GB complaint category (12.1%, Apr-Sep 2024) per ORR.
3. 3
   On-board facilities

   Complaints about facilities on board trains, such as catering, toilets and Wi-Fi, are the third most common category across GB rail.

   'Facilities on board' accounted for 7.7% of GB complaints (Apr-Sep 2024) per ORR.
4. 4
   Ticketing, refunds and compensation

   Ticketing and refunds policy, and the compensation claims process itself, are common complaint areas, relevant to Avanti given its very high volume of Delay Repay claims (over 1.1 million closed in 2023-24).

   'Ticketing and refunds policy' (6.7%) and 'compensation claims process' (4.2%) were among the top five GB complaint categories (Apr-Sep 2024) per ORR.

Contact methods

• Customer Resolutions Team (complaints)0345 528 0253
• Customer Resolutions Centre (post)Avanti West Coast, Customer Resolutions Centre, The Square, 2 Broad Street West, Sheffield S1 2BQ. Freepost address: Freepost AVANTI WEST COAST.
• Delay Repay compensationSeparate from complaints. Claim within 28 days of the affected journey; delays of 15 minutes or more qualify.
• Passenger Assist0345 528 0253
• Rail Ombudsman (free escalation)0330 094 0362

Complaint journey

1. 1

   Contact Avanti West Coast

   Report your complaint to Avanti's Customer Resolutions Team first.

   Typical responseTarget 28 working days
   What happens

   Complain to Avanti directly first. The quickest route is the online form at railhelp.co.uk/avantiwestcoast; you can also phone 0345 528 0253 (8am-10pm daily), email customer.resolutions@avantiwestcoast.co.uk, or write to the Customer Resolutions Centre, The Square, 2 Broad Street West, Sheffield S1 2BQ. Avanti's complaint handling policy states it aims to reply within 28 working days of the date you contacted it.

2. 2

   Ask Avanti to reconsider (Stage 2)

   If you are unhappy with the reply, ask for a review.

   Typical responseReviewed in writing
   What happens

   If you are not satisfied with Avanti's first response, you can ask it to reconsider. Avanti says it will review everything again and reply in writing by letter or email. This second reply, if it upholds the original decision, is your final response or 'deadlock' letter, which you need before going to the Rail Ombudsman.

3. 3

   Escalate to the Rail Ombudsman

   Free, independent, binding review of unresolved complaints.

   Typical responseAfter deadlock or 40 working days
   What happens

   The Rail Ombudsman provides free, independent and binding dispute resolution. You can go to it once you have Avanti's final 'deadlock' response, or if Avanti has not resolved your complaint within 40 working days of receiving it. You must apply within 12 months of Avanti's final response. Contact the Rail Ombudsman at railombudsman.org, on 0330 094 0362 or at info@railombudsman.org.

4. 4

   Contact Transport Focus for other issues

   The watchdog handles matters the Ombudsman cannot take on.

   Typical responseVaries
   What happens

   Some complaints fall outside the Rail Ombudsman's scope, such as matters of industry policy. In these cases the independent passenger watchdog Transport Focus (or London TravelWatch for some London journeys) can take up your case. Avanti's complaint handling policy names both as bodies it can refer complaints to. The Office of Rail and Road is the regulator; it enforces rules and monitors performance but does not resolve individual disputes.

Response times

If your complaint isn’t resolved

If Avanti West Coast can’t put things right, you can escalate — free of charge — to an independent body:

• Rail OmbudsmanRail
• AviationADRFlights

Recent news

• 1 December 2024

  The UK Government confirmed Avanti West Coast will be brought into public ownership under Great British Railways, expected by October 2027, as part of ending passenger rail franchising.

  Read more
• 9 January 2025

  ORR figures showed Avanti recorded 103 complaints per 100,000 journeys for April to September 2024, the second highest of any operator, though down 21% year on year against a GB average of 19.

  Read more
• 19 September 2023

  The Department for Transport awarded Avanti a new National Rail Contract with a core term to 18 October 2026 and possible extension to 2032, after a series of short extensions and a performance improvement requirement.

  Read more

Earlier cases

• 12 November 2022

  Historic: ORR data reported in November 2022 showed Avanti West Coast had the worst cancellation rate of any UK operator, around 8%, against a national average of 3.8%, after it cut its timetable from August 2022.

  Read more
• 1 October 2022

  Historic: the Government extended Avanti's contract by only six months in October 2022, stating that drastic improvements to reliability were required.

  Read more

Know your rights

• National Rail Conditions of Travel (NRCoT)

  The NRCoT set out your rights when travelling by train, including entitlement to compensation for delays under Delay Repay and to refunds for cancelled or significantly delayed journeys you choose not to make. This is general information, not legal advice.

• Consumer Rights Act 2015

  Rail travel is a service, so it should be provided with reasonable care and skill. Where a service falls short you may be entitled to a remedy; in rail, delay and cancellation compensation is normally handled through Delay Repay and the NRCoT. This is general information, not legal advice.

• Rail Ombudsman scheme

  As a member of the Rail Ombudsman scheme, Avanti is bound by the Ombudsman's decisions on eligible disputes, giving you access to free, independent adjudication after its own process. This is general information, not legal advice.

Frequently asked questions