We continue to collaborate with our partners to make and support investments in our 16 stations, including a new ticket office and first class lounge in Glasgow, and brightening up our stations with new art installations and award-winning floral displays.
New ticket office and first class lounge at Glasgow Central
We have now opened a new AWC Ticket Office and First Class Lounge at Glasgow Central, as part of a £5m investment by Network Rail. Located in the historic Caledonian Chambers near to platforms 1 and 2 – where our Pendolinos arrive and depart – the Ticket Office and First Class Lounge now mean facilities and staff are closer to our customers. Designed to provide a better journey experience and improved accessibility, the Ticket Office has two welcome desks, more ticket machines and user-friendly information screens. Staff will also be equipped with handheld devices to assist with customer queries – offering a more visible presence. Glasgow is a key destination on our route and a city we’re proud to serve, so we’re delighted we now have welcoming facilities that complement the beautiful station and can be enjoyed by our customers travelling to and from Glasgow Central.
Unique artwork celebrating Crewe unveiled
We were delighted to unveil an art installation celebrating Crewe at the town’s railway station as part of a community project to engage young people in the railway. Located on platform 12, the art installation features icons from organisations and industries associated with Crewe, and is made up from repurposed waste materials including bottle tops, toy parts, buttons, pens, beads and tiles. They have been created as part of a project by Central Cheshire Buddies Scheme – a charity that supports children and young people with disabilities, as well as sibling young carers. Train Buddies aims to give disabled children and young carers experiences linked to the railway they would not ordinarily have access to. It will see three of the charity’s activity groups take the train for days out on the West Coast Main Line by the end of March 2025 - a total of 24 journeys. Supporting projects that make a positive difference to the people and places we serve is important to us. We’re proud to play our part in connecting disabled children and young carers to new experiences. We look forward to welcoming Cheshire Buddies for their next journey and hope they catch a glimpse of their brilliant artwork as they arrive or depart the station by train.
Rugby station wins prestigious award
Passengers travelling through Avanti’s Rugby station will also have noticed a brighter environment, with the station winning a first prize in this year’s Rugby in Bloom competition, coming tops in the ‘Industrial’ category. It’s the third consecutive year the team have won in Rugby Borough Council’s annual event. We want our stations to be more than just a place where you catch a train and the two million passengers who use Rugby station each year benefit thanks to the hard work of the station team, particularly Customer Service Team Leaders Yunus Sanders (pictured below) and Marlon Golding. The flowers featured in both hanging baskets and garden displays, with new ‘insect hotels’ for the increasing number of bugs attracted to the station by the floral offerings.
