Our named Trains

Named at Manchester Piccadilly in July 2018, Bee Together acknowledges the city’s worker bee emblem, 22 of which are woven into a heart shaped design, also carried on the train’s cab ends, in memory of the victims of the Manchester Arena bombing in 2017.

Named after teenage cancer fundraiser Stephen Sutton, who raised over £5 million before his death in 2014.

The famous "thumbs up" message of the 19-year-old, from Burntwood, in Staffordshire, endeared him to thousands of people as he battled cancer.

Named in 2017 to mark a partnership with the charity, and the promotion of mental health and wellbeing.

Named at Glasgow Central in March 2018 as part of the 150th anniversary celebrations of famed architect and artist. Born in Glasgow, Mackintosh’s’ notable architecture works include the Glasgow School of Art, The Willow Tearooms, Hill House and Queen's Cross Church.

Named to celebrate the connectivity of the union, and the vital role of the railways in linking the member countries together.

Named in 2016 ‘The Cumbrian Spirit' to acknowledge the courage and resolve shown by the local community as they rebuilt their lives and businesses after the floods that beset the region.

Named ‘Blackpool Belle’ in 2018 to celebrate the launch of Pendolino services from London Euston the popular Lancashire seaside resort.

Named Lady Godiva on 4 April 2019, after the 11th century noblewoman so synonymous with Coventry, famous for riding her horse naked through the city. The name was chosen by BBC Coventry and Warwickshire Radio, as part of their celebrations to mark the start of their UK City of Culture status.

Royal Scot was named at Euston in June 2021, before its valiant attempt to set the fastest time between London and Glasgow. She fell 21 agonising seconds behind the time set by the Advanced Passenger Train in 1984, but did set a new speed record for the Class 390. Read all about the attempt here.

Named in 2022, to mark the 25th anniversary of the city’s Pride celebration.

Named after Asquith Xavier who became part of rail history in 1966 when he overturned a decision not to employ him because of his ethnicity after he applied to become a guard at Euston station. This unofficial policy was known as the “colour bar”.

Not only did his campaign result in the ruling being reversed but also contributed to a change in the Race Relations Act in 1968, which made it unlawful not to employ an individual on the grounds of race.

The named train was unveiled officially in September 2023 at London Euston station. Read here for more information.

Named in September 2010 to mark the partnership with Alstom who maintain the Pendolino fleet at depots around the UK.

As part of a community event that attract over 5k visitors to Crewe, the train was named to mark celebrate the town’s close links with the railway.

Named Blue Peter in October 2018 at Manchester Piccadilly, to mark the 60th anniversary of the BBC children's TV programme of the same name which is now filmed at MediaCityUK in Salford.

Carries vinyls on all 11 carriages to celebrate the LGBTQ+ community. They were applied in August 2020, and the train named ‘Progress’ in October that year. More commonly known as ‘The Pride Train, it highlights Avanti West Coast’s progressive commitment to diversity and inclusion. For more information read here.

The train carries a special ‘climate’ livery and was named at London Euston in October 2021, before carrying delegates to the COP26 event in Glasgow.For more information read here.

A fun name to mark the first Pendolino to clock up one million miles in service. Penny continues to lead the way, with over five million miles on the clock.

A comedic nod from the readers of the Liverpool Echo to the locals and the iconic steam engine. The winning name, as voted for by the reader, was named at Liverpool Lime Street in June 2017.

Named Railway Benefit Fund in April 2021 at Liverpool Lime Street to mark the Crewe based charity’s 160th anniversary, and to help raise funds for the vital work they do to support the railway family.

Named to mark the start of the Avanti West Coast operation in 2019, linking people with places and opportunity.

Named in honour of the founder of the Samaritans, a charity that works closely with the railway industry to promote mental wellbeing.