From the start of the new timetable on Sunday, 18th May, Avanti West Coast will run extra services between London, Chester, and Holyhead.

On weekdays, there will be an extra service to and from London Euston and Holyhead, and an extra service from Holyhead to London Euston.

On Saturdays, there will be an additional service from London Euston to Chester, whilst on Sundays, there will be an extra service from London Euston to Chester and an extra service from Holyhead to London Euston.

The additional services have been made possible through the greater use of Avanti West Coast’s new £350m fleet of Evero trains.

The additional weekday services from Holyhead will provide an early morning arrival into London before 9 am, and the additional service to Holyhead will have ten carriages as far as Chester.

On Sundays, the extra service from Holyhead is made possible by extending an existing service from Holyhead to London.

The new Evero fleet is being built by Hitachi at Newton Aycliffe in County Durham, and is quieter and roomier than the Voyager trains that previously served North Wales.

Additional features include wireless charging for electronic devices, improved Wi-Fi, more legroom, larger luggage racks, and extra real-time customer information screens that are easier to read.

Wheelchair spaces have an improved layout with contrasting carpets and a large accessibility symbol, accessible toilets have been upgraded, and seats feature Braille and large print labels.

Ken Skates MS, Cabinet Secretary for Transport and North Wales, expressed his delight at progress towards the restoration of services to their pre-COVID level.

Testing of Avanti West Coast’s new Evero trains started in July 2023.

“We’re delighted to be introducing more services between North Wales and London this summer by utilising our new Evero fleet. These additional services not only deliver on our commitment to improve connectivity to the regions we serve but also enhance the experience for our customers, which we hope will encourage more people to travel by train. This latest investment in our North Wales operations continues an exciting chapter for our employees and customers in the region, and we enjoyed marking the occasion by welcoming Ken Skates onboard.”

Nick Smith, Regional Growth Manager at Avanti West Coast