Avanti West Coast installs free water refill points on trains

Train operating company Avanti West Coast is introducing water refill points on board all its Pendolino and Evero trains – and has released a video to publicize the move.

Following a successful trial, the refill points are now located in the store on board each train and provide free water to passengers who refill their own water bottles. Avanti West Coast assures passengers that they will find them easy to use.

By providing these charging points, the operator aims to reduce the quantity of single-use plastic consumed during train travel, and therefore to reduce plastic waste.

Avanti believes its onboard water refilling service is a first for the rail industry, although several operators already offer water bottle refilling facilities at their stations, including London Overground, Chiltern and Merseyrail.

Avanti installed the charging points as part of a £450m investment in its train fleet.

The company carried out operational tests before launching the installation. During the three months of testing, passengers traveling on the Pendolino fleet consumed over twenty-one thousand liters of water, which is equivalent to forty-two thousand standard-sized 500ml plastic water bottles.

Water for the Pendolino refill stations is supplied by Shropshire-based company Wenlock Spring. It comes from a protected historic spring, dating from 1086, located near the nineteen-mile-long limestone escarpment known as Wenlock Edge. Water is dispensed from reusable bottles, which are returned to Wenlock Spring for refilling.

“With many people now carrying their own water bottle, the ability to refill it for free is part of our responsible business commitment to building a cleaner, greener railway and significantly reducing single-use plastic at home. edge of our services.

Bob Powell, Head of Inclusive Customer Experience, Avanti West Coast

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