The Class 805 Evero fleet has reached a major operating milestone while helping reduce carbon emissions on services between London and North Wales.
Avanti West Coast’s Class 805 Evero fleet has achieved a significant milestone after surpassing five million miles in passenger service on the West Coast Main Line.
Introduced in June 2024, the Class 805 trains form part of Avanti West Coast’s new Evero fleet, which consists of 13 bi-mode Class 805 units and 10 fully electric Class 807 trains. The fleet was introduced to support timetable improvements, increase capacity and help the operator progress towards its net zero ambitions.
The five million miles recorded by the Class 805 fleet is equivalent to travelling around the Earth approximately 40 times and highlights the growing role the trains are playing across the operator’s network.
Class 805 fleet supports greener rail travel
The Class 805 trains primarily operate services between London and North Wales, including routes to Holyhead. Their bi-mode technology enables trains to operate using electric power for much of the journey before switching seamlessly to diesel operation on non-electrified sections of railway.
Almost two-thirds of the route between London and Holyhead can be completed using electric power. The transition between electric and diesel operation takes place after trains depart from Crewe, where electrification ends before the route continues along the North Wales coast.
The fleet replaced older Class 221 Voyager trains, which relied entirely on diesel traction. According to Avanti West Coast, the new Class 805 trains produced almost two-thirds less carbon per vehicle kilometre during the year leading up to April 2026 compared with the previous fleet.
In addition to North Wales services, the trains also operate selected services between London and the West Midlands.
The flexibility of the bi-mode fleet proved particularly valuable earlier this year when engineering works closed sections of the West Coast Main Line between Preston and Carlisle. During planned closures in January and April, the Class 805 fleet enabled services to continue operating via the historic Settle and Carlisle route, completing almost 60,000 miles along the diversionary route.
The introduction of the fleet has also supported service enhancements. In September 2025, Avanti West Coast increased services between London and Chester to an hourly frequency by introducing two additional weekday trains.
Enhanced passenger experience across the network
Passengers travelling on the Class 805 fleet benefit from a range of improvements compared with previous rolling stock.
Each five-car train provides 16 per cent more seating capacity, helping accommodate growing passenger demand on routes serving North Wales. The trains also offer increased leg room, additional luggage space and modern passenger facilities.
Accessibility has been a key focus of the fleet design, with features including Braille signage and large-print seat labels helping create a more inclusive travel experience.
Owain Morgan said reaching five million miles demonstrated both the reliability of the fleet and the commitment of colleagues responsible for maintaining and operating the trains.
He added that the introduction of the new fleet has represented a major improvement in customer experience, operational performance and connectivity for communities served by the route.
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