The West Coast operator is optimistic passengers will return, as its MD PHIL WHITTINGHAM and Operations Director NICK WESTCOTT tell PHILIP SHERRATT
At last, the Covid pandemic seems to be abating.That is good news for the railway after a two-year period in which passenger numbers and revenue have fallen significantly due to the continued disruption to our lives.
For Avanti West Coast, revenue dropped to as low as 5% of pre-Covid levels during 2020. But the signs of recovery are promising: Managing Director Phil Whittingham says the operator is projecting total revenues of around £650 million for the financial year ending this March, a considerable improvement on the £150 million of 2020-21.
Passenger numbers have reflected that recovery, and Avanti has been working closely with Government and industry partners to best match that demand to supply. Mr Whittingham says the recovery has been strongest on the Anglo- Scottish and Liverpool corridors, while Manchester services have begun to bounce back. Slowest to recover is the London to West Midlands market; ‘there’s several operators here and we were the main carrier of business passengers, and that sector has been recovering more slowly than leisure’ says Mr Whittingham.
