Train operator Avanti has its contract extended despite 'poor performance'

Train operator Avanti has been handed a contract extension by the government, despite its 'poor performance' being under fire.

The operator has struggled with reliability, passengers being unable to book tickets in advance, and was slammed in August last year for cutting services between Manchester and London. Avanti, which runs trains between Manchester Piccadilly and London Euston, has since gone back to three per hour between the stations.

The contract was due to expire at the end of March but has been extended until October 15. The Department for Transport has said the extension comes as 'performance at Avanti is steadily improving'.

READ MORE: Avanti West Coast threatened as passengers STILL unable to book Manchester to London tickets far in advance

The Department for Transport has today (20 March 2023) extended Avanti West Coast’s contract for a further six months after 'significant improvements' have been made since October, the government announced.

"This decision comes almost six months after the operator was initially put on a short-term contract by the government and ordered to develop a recovery plan aimed at addressing poor performance on vital West Coast Main Line routes, including between Manchester, Birmingham and London," said a government spokesperson."

The six-month contract was initially introduced after major operational issues, a cause of which was a shortage of available drivers and a ban on rest day and overtime working. Last July, drivers for Avanti West Coast, the majority of whom belong to the ASLEF union, stopped volunteering to work overtime.

Passengers suffered weeks of short-notice cancellations and this led to Avanti slashing its timetable in August. A new timetable introduced in