When planning your journey, please:

• Travel during quieter periods.
  Currently, our busiest times are between 10am-12pm, 2pm-4pm and 6pm-7.30pm. To help you understand when services are becoming too busy, we’ll highlight popular trains when you book a ticket on our website. You can also view busy trends here. 

• Wash your hands.
  Carry hand sanitiser and wash your hands before and after travelling.
• Wear a face covering.
  

  Unless exempt, you must wear a face covering when onboard a train in England, Scotland and Wales.

• Keep your distance.
  Please respect social distancing at all times. 
• Go digital.
  Where possible, choose digital ticket options and use contactless payment methods.
• Sit in your allocated seat.
  Our onboard seating plan is based on current government advice of 1+ metre when travelling by train in England and Scotland. Therefore, you must sit in your allocated seat. However, when you cross the border into Wales, and where space is available, you may choose to socially distance further as reservations have been reduced for this leg of your journey.
• Please be patient.
  Our team are working hard to make your journey as safe as possible.
  Please remain patient with our colleagues and other customers.

• Queue management will be in place outside some stations to support social distancing inside and on platforms.
• All Ticket Office counters will be fitted with a temporary screen for the period that social distancing remains in place. We are also temporarily reducing staffing in our ticket office to ensure our team are available for other roles vital to the running of the trains.
• Wherever possible, customers flows will follow a one-way system.  This includes entrance and exit only points.
• We’ve increased signage and floor markings to help you safely find your way.
• Boarding controls will be established to help with social distancing onboard the train.   
• Most of our First Class Lounges are closed, and those that are open have a reduced capacity and restrictions in place. For more information, please see here.
• Our waiting rooms are now open with social distancing measures in place. We've added extra cleaning routines to help keep our waiting rooms a safe space for all.
• Customers are recommended to make a reservation before boarding the train. If you don't have one once you've arrived at the station, please speak to a member of our team.

• We're enhancing cleaning routines with a focus on ticket offices, toilet facilities and all other key touch points.
• We have introduced hand sanitising points in all of our stations. To see a full list of where these are located, please click here: Hand sanitising points
• If you have a question or need any help at one of our stations, please speak to a member of our team. If there are no members of our team available, please contact us on social media or by using the station help points.

• We’ve significantly reduced seating capacity onboard to enable social distancing. We’ve also added floor markings and signage to help guide you.
• When you book ahead, please make a seat reservation with your booking. If you are booking a weekday service, we’ll allocate you a seat automatically. You must sit in the seat you’ve been allocated to ensure safe social distancing. If you’re travelling with members of your household, you may sit together – but please maintain a safe distance from other customers.
• Standing will not be permitted on any train.
• Tickets will be inspected visually, but not handled.

Standard Class catering facilities

• Shops onboard Pendolino services will be open with protective screens and safety lines in place. 
• Shops onboard Voyager services are currently closed, but not to worry - you can use At-Seat Order if you'd like to buy food and drink onboard.
• At-Seat Order is available across all our trains. It means you can order food and drink from the comfort of your seat using your phone, tablet or laptop. You’ll get to handpick your refreshments and get your goodies delivered direct to your seat! (You can also click and collect if you’re onboard our Pendolino service.) Simply log in to your free onboard WiFi and start scrolling the selection of train snacks. Order here.
• Due to government guidance, we will not be serving alcohol on any of our services. Please note we’re not accepting re-usable coffee cups at this time. 
• You can find out which catering facilities are available onboard your train from the customer information screens in the station and the passenger information screens onboard the train.

First Class Catering

• If you’re travelling First Class, snacks and soft drinks will be offered to you at your seat by a member of the onboard team. 
• Please note we are running a reduced menu at this time, and following recent guidance issued by the Government, we will not be serving alcohol on any of our services.
• We’re not accepting re-usable coffee cups at this time.
• We've enhanced cleaning routines with a focus on door buttons, grab handles, tables, toilet facilities and all other key touch points. We are also trialling a new long-lasting sanitiser that provides strong antimicrobial protection against a range of bacteria, viruses and pathogens.
• We encourage high standards of hand hygiene for all our colleagues and customers. Although we don’t have hand sanitiser available for customers onboard, there are handwashing facilities on our trains. To minimise contact, and where possible, we’d suggest you bring hand sanitiser along with you.
 

If you have a ticket for travel to or from a station impacted by an announcement that the local or national Covid alert level is changing, and you purchased this ticket before the announcement was made, you can apply for a refund or a change of journey on an unused ticket free of charge.  You can do this up to 28 days from the last day that the ticket was valid.

Any non-Advance tickets purchased on or after the date the announcement was made will only be eligible for an amendment or refund as per usual terms and conditions (with the admin fee applied).

If you have an Advance ticket for travel to or from a station that was booked before 5 Jan 2020 you may be entitled to a Rail Travel Voucher. The voucher can be used as payment towards a new ticket and is valid for 12 months from the date of issue. The voucher may not be exchanged for cash.

Any Advance tickets purchased on or after the date the announcement was made will not be eligible for a refund as per normal terms and conditions.

We aim to respond to all requests within 28 days. As long as you’ve contacted us before your date of travel, don’t worry – it will be honoured if eligible, even if we respond after the date has passed. Emailing multiple times can cause delays to your request being processed, so please bear with us.

If issued, the voucher is valid for 12 months from the date of issue. As a result of previous travel restrictions, Rail Travel Vouchers that expired or are due to expire between 20 October 2020 and 30 June 2021 can be extended for a further six months of their original expiry date. 

Your Rail Travel Voucher can be redeemed if you pop to any ticket office, and they’ll be able to get your new ticket sorted.
Vouchers can’t be used to book online or via the app and are not exchangeable for cash.

For those wishing to refund a Car Park Season ticket, Please apply for your refund at the point of sale.

The refund will be from date you return the parking pass.

For the latest advice on Railcards please visit National Rail here.

If you have a Plusbus ticket, you can apply for a refund within 56 days of its validity. From 7 September 2020, refund applications must be made within 28 days.

For both Rail Travel Vouchers and a change to your ticket, you’ll need to make the request before your booked train departs. Advance tickets purchased on or after 05 January 2021 may still be excessed to travel on another day, but normal fees and excess rules will still apply.

Rail Travel Voucher:
To request a Rail Travel Voucher for your qualifying Advance ticket, please email lockdown.vouchers@avantiwestcoast.co.uk with the following information:

• Your full name and postal address
  
• A copy of your ticket(s) attached, and/or your booking reference
• The date you purchased you ticket(s)

We aim to respond to all requests within 28 days. As long as you’ve contacted us before your date of travel, don’t worry – it will be honoured if eligible, even if we respond after the date has passed. Emailing multiple times can cause delays to your request being processed, so please bear with us.

If issued, the voucher is valid for 12 months from the date of issue. As a result of previous travel restrictions, Rail Travel Vouchers that expired or are due to expire between 20 October 2020 and 30 June 2021 can be extended for a further six months of their original expiry date. 

Your Rail Travel Voucher can be redeemed if you pop to any ticket office, and they’ll be able to get your new ticket sorted.

Vouchers can’t be used to book online or via the app and are not exchangeable for cash.

The government’s instructions state that a face covering is a cloth that should “cover your mouth and nose while allowing you to breathe comfortably. It can be as simple as a scarf or bandana that ties behind the head.”
You can find out more here.

Where possible, please do not wear medical grade PPE masks to help ensure these remain available for those that need them most.

Rail staff engage and educate customers about the mandatory use of face coverings when they travel by train and encourage people to wear them. The vast majority of people do the right thing and help protect others by bringing and wearing a face covering while in stations and on trains. Unless they have a good reason, those that don’t wear a face covering could receive a fine of up to £6,400 from the British Transport Police.

In line with government guidance, you must wear a face covering (unless you are exempt) when you’re at a station and whilst onboard a train.

Some people may not be able to wear a face covering such as young children, people with specific medical reasons, those with breathing difficulties or whose disabilities make it difficult for them to wear a face covering.

For anyone who isn't wearing a face covering and isn't exempt, the penalty for failing to wear a face covering will now be £200 for a first offence, doubling each time to a maximum fine of £6,400 from the British Transport Police. For more information on this please see the government guidance on face coverings.

For more information, please see current government guidance for England, Scotland and Wales.

We recognise that not everyone is able to wear a face covering. If this applies to you, then please rest assured you can still use public transport. We want our customers to travel with dignity and our staff will act considerately if you can’t cover your face due to medical reasons or a disability – visible or not.

To make it easier for you and our teams, we’ve partnered with the Hidden Disabilities Sunflower scheme to help you discreetly indicate to our team that you may need additional support, a little more time or that you’re unable to wear a face covering.

By no means do you have to take part in the scheme and, if you’d prefer, you can still just have a word with one of our colleagues. But if you’d like more information, click here.

Please wear your face covering throughout your journey when travelling with us including in stations and onboard. We also recommend that you bring a spare face covering with you.

It is acceptable for coverings to be removed for the duration of eating or drinking.

We are confident that the vast majority of people are going to want to do the right thing and help protect others by bringing and wearing a face covering while in stations and on trains. Please also be aware that some passengers may not be able to wear a mask due to medical issues. Regardless of whether someone is wearing a mask, people should keep their distance – at least two metres, if possible.

We encourage passengers to use reusable face coverings where possible as these are better for the environment. If you have a disposable face covering then please take it home to dispose of it or put it in the normal bins available on stations at the end of your journey.

Currently, our busiest times are between 9.30am-2pm, and 4pm-6pm and all day on Friday.When you book on our website, we have highlighted busier trains for you to see when you’re booking tickets. You can also view busy trends here. Please take this into account and choose a quieter service where possible. Once a train reaches the allocated social distance seat capacity, we remove it from our booking platforms.

We advise that you keep checking back for any changes.

Face coverings

In line with Government Guidance, you must wear a face covering (unless you are exempt) when you’re at a station and whilst onboard a train.

Some people may not be able to wear a face covering such as young children, people with specific medical reasons, those with breathing difficulties or whose disabilities make it difficult for them to wear a face covering.

For anyone who isn't wearing a face covering and isn't exempt, the penalty for failing to wear a face covering will now be £200 for a first offence, doubling each time to a maximum fine of £6,400 from the British Transport Police. For more information on this please see the Government guidance on face coverings.

For more information, please see current Government guidance for England, Scotland and Wales.

Social distancing and where to sit

This is based on government guidance that, when travelling in England, passengers must remain at a distance of 1+ metre. If you’re travelling on a cross- border service in Wales, where guidance is different, then please note we’ve reduced reservations Crewe-Holyhead so that customers can space out further if wishing to do so.

Please respect local social distancing guidelines at all times.

Local lockdowns and restrictions

Reservations can be made at the time of booking your journey on the Avanti West Coast website – simply select the service you would like to travel on. If you have a flexible ticket (Off-Peak, Anytime) or are a Season ticket holder, you can make a reservation by getting in touch here: seat.reservations@avantiwestcoast.co.uk

We have reduced the seating capacity on our trains. Therefore, we strongly recommend you book your place on your preferred train by using our website or app. Once a train reaches the social distance seat capacity set, we remove it from our booking platforms.

If you have not booked a place, we’ll do our best to help at the station, but we can’t guarantee you’ll be able to board your preferred train. In this instance, we’ll do our best to get you on the service immediately before or after your preferred train. If you have any questions when boarding, then our station team are on hand to help.

In the unlikely event the last service of the day is too full to board, speak to a member of our team who will be able to help. If there are no members of our team available, please contact us on social media or by using the station help points.

In the unlikely event your train is cancelled, you can travel on an Avanti West Coast service either side of your booked train where capacity allows. Your seat reservation will no longer apply so please speak to our station teams to find out where is best to board the train.

• What happens if I can’t get on the next train because it’s too busy?
  If this is the case, unfortunately you’ll have to wait for another one where there is space onboard. Or, if you have the time, ask our station team who will do their best to secure you a seat on a later train.

• What do I do if I chose not to travel because I can’t maintain social distancing on the service either side of my cancelled train?
  Speak to our station team who will do their best to reserve a seat for you on the next available service. Otherwise, you can apply for a refund for your unused ticket.

We strongly encourage everyone to purchase a ticket online before your journey. You can purchase tickets up to 5 minutes before travel on our website and app. This will significantly help manage social distancing at the station and reduce unnecessary contact with other people.

Some of our Ticket Offices opening hours have changed. Please click here for details and opening times of your specific station. Ticket Office counters have been fitted with a temporary screen for the period that social distancing remains in place.

Yes, our waiting rooms are now open with social distancing measures in place. We've added extra cleaning routines to help keep our waiting rooms a safe space for all.

We are accepting cash onboard our trains and in our stations but, we’re urging all customers to keep it contactless if you can to promote social distancing. We strongly recommend that everyone purchases tickets through our website or app before travel and choose a contactless, digital ticket. You can book up to 5 minutes before your scheduled departure time.

We are asking all colleagues and customers to keep on top of good hand hygiene and request people to follow the government’s advice to avoid unnecessary contact and regularly wash hands for 20 seconds – especially before and after travelling. 

Although we don’t have hand sanitiser available for customers onboard, there are handwashing facilities on our trains. To minimise contact, and where possible, we’d suggest you bring hand sanitiser along with you.

We have introduced hand sanitising points in all of our stations. To see a full list of where these are located, please click here: Hand sanitising points

Yes, our toilets are open as usual and are regularly deep cleaned.

Watch this video to find out more about some of the ways we're helping to keep you safe:

COVID-19 travel safety video

If you are suffering cold or flu-like symptoms, you should now be self-isolating for 14 days according to government guidelines. You should follow NHS advice to reduce the risk of catching coronavirus or spreading it to others.

No. If you have been diagnosed with coronavirus or are showing symptoms, you should follow the advice from the NHS.

The current Government and NHS guidelines for using public transport are here: England, Scotland and Wales.
If you need more assistance whilst you travel, please use our Passenger Assist page.

You must sit in the seat you’ve been allocated as our seating plan is arranged for safe social distancing onboard. This is based on government guidance that, when travelling in England, passengers must remain at a distance of 1+ metre. If you’re travelling on a cross- border service in Wales, where guidance is different, then please note we’ve reduced reservations Crewe-Holyhead so that customers can space out further if wishing to do so. 

Please note that further restrictions are being introduced in Wales from 6pm Friday 23^rd October. For more information, click here.

Please respect local social distancing guidelines at all times.

Standard Class catering facilities

• Shops onboard Pendolino services will be open with protective screens and safety lines in place. 
• Shops onboard Voyager services are currently closed, but not to worry - you can use At-Seat Order if you'd like to buy food and drink onboard.
• At-Seat Order is available across all of our trains. It means you can order food and drink from the comfort of your seat using your phone, tablet or laptop. You'll get to handpick your refreshments and get your goodies delivered direct to your seat! (You can also click and collect if you're onboard our Pendolino service.) Simply log in to your free onboard WiFi and start scrolling the selection of train snacks. Order here.
• Due to government guidance, we will not be serving alcohol on any of our services. Please note we’re not accepting re-usable coffee cups at this time.
• You can find out which catering facilities are available onboard your train from the customer information screens in the station and the passenger information screens onboard the train.

First Class Catering

• If you’re travelling First Class, snacks and soft drinks will be offered to you at your seat by a member of the onboard team. 
• Please note we are running a reduced menu at this time, and following recent guidance issued by the Government, we will not be serving alcohol on any of our services.
• We're not accepting re-usable coffee cups at this time.