Avanti West Coast to offer free water onboard to reduce plastic bottle waste

Avanti West Coast is leading the way in Europe's rail industry by offering free onboard water dispensers across its Pendolino and Evero trains. This initiative, part of a £450 million investment in its fleets, aims to cut down on single-use plastics onboard.

During a three-month trial on Pendolino trains, passengers guzzled 21,000 litres of water, saving an equivalent of 42,000 standard-sized 500ml plastic bottles.

While many railway stations offer free water fountains, Mark Smith, founder of international train travel website Seat61.com, told PA news agency that he wasn't aware of any other operator in Europe providing onboard facilities.

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Bob Powell, head of inclusive customer experience at Avanti West Coast, said: “The water refill points are another example of how we are raising the bar for rail travel in the UK.

“With many people now carrying their own water bottle, the opportunity to refill them free of charge is part of our responsible business commitment to build a cleaner and greener railway and significantly reduce single-use plastic onboard our services.”

Water for the Pendolino refill points is provided by Shropshire-based company Wenlock Spring, which has sourced its water from a spring near the Wenlock Edge since 1086.

Wenlock Spring director Matthew Orme said: “We’re proud to have worked on the development of the onboard refill points with Avanti West Coast.

“The water refill points dispense Wenlock Spring from reusable bottles, which are returned to us for refilling time and time again.”