Avanti West Coast has been recognised for improving the reliability of its services after winning a Silver Whistle at the Golden Whistle Awards.

The intercity operator received the honour in the ‘Minimising Cancellations: Long Distance’ category, which recognises the most improved train operator. The awards celebrate operational excellence across the UK rail network.

Industry data, covering the 12 months to 6 December 2025, showed Avanti West Coast recorded the largest improvement among long-distance operators. During the period, the company reduced its average cancellation rate to 5.2%, a drop of over 2% from the previous year.

The improvement follows closer collaboration between Avanti’s fleet team and Alstom, which maintains the operator’s trains. The strengthened partnership has helped identify faults earlier and target repairs on systems that most affect performance.

The operator is also continuing to work with Network Rail through a joint performance strategy aimed at tackling the root causes of delays and improving reliability along the West Coast Main Line. A timetable optimisation tool is also being trialled to help services recover more effectively during disruption.

Separately, Avanti West Coast Operations Delivery Manager James Dobson received the ‘Outstanding Individual’ Golden Whistle for organising the “Greatest Gathering” at Alstom’s Derby factory as part of the Railway 200. The three-day event brought together more than 70 modern and historic trains for public display.

 “This recognition is a testament to the unwavering dedication of our operational colleagues, whose tireless work – alongside our industry partners, particularly Network Rail and Alstom – has delivered meaningful improvements in performance. It reflects our ongoing commitment to delivering operational excellence and providing the level of service our customers rightly expect and deserve.

“A huge congratulations also to James for being honoured for his contribution to The Greatest Gathering. His leadership was instrumental in bringing the event to life and creating a memorable legacy as part of the wider Railway 200 celebrations.”

Chris Liptrot, Operations Director at Avanti West Coast.

“I’m honoured to be recognised as part of the Avanti West Coast operations team, and even more so to receive my own award. It was a huge surprise and I’m totally overjoyed! 

“I want to pay tribute to the efforts of my fellow operational colleagues who work tremendously hard each day. It is a pleasure to be a part of those teams and contribute to their success. Both awards reflect the effort of many people behind the scenes, notably those with The Greatest Gathering who helped make the event such a success. It was just brilliant and I’m very proud of what we achieved together”.

James Dobson, Avanti West Coast’s Operations Delivery Manager.