The Office of Rail and Road (ORR) has given failing rail firm Avanti another chance to improve after promised improvements that the regulator had trumpeted came to nothing.
Transport Network first reported in April last year that Avanti West Coast customers were unable to book trains just a few days ahead because the firm had not issued timetables.
In October the ORR said it had gained assurances from the Avanti that it would return to providing timetables at least six weeks in advance of travel, which it said would provide ‘comfort for passengers’ and 'ease the pain'.
However, on Tuesday, the regulator said it had written to Avanti calling for significant improvements to its recovery plan for releasing timetables to passengers ahead of travel.
It said that despite Avanti initially making ‘reasonable progress’ against its plan and increasing notice for passengers to book travel in the lead up to Christmas, the position has deteriorated in 2023, with passengers have only been able to book tickets at a few days’ notice for weekends in January.
The ORR said it had asked Avanti under the firm’s passenger information licence requirement to submit an improved recovery plan for timetable production by 2 February.
Stephanie Tobyn, director of strategy, policy and reform at the ORR, said: ‘Passengers are rightly frustrated that this situation has deteriorated so quickly after a steady start to the recovery plan late last year.
‘By 2 February we expect Avanti to identify what has gone wrong and set out how it intends to get back to releasing timetables in normal industry timescales so that passengers can plan and book journeys with greater confidence.’
She added: ‘Failure to produce an acceptable plan or to deliver improvements may lead to more formal measures.’
In October, Ms Tobyn described Avanti's improvement plan as 'credible and appropriately ambitious'.
The same month, the Department for Transport controversially awarded Avanti a six-month extension on its contract to 1 April. It said: ‘This window is designed to provide Avanti with the opportunity to improve their services.’
David Sidebottom, director at the watchdog Transport Focus, said: 'Passengers have told us that Avanti’s timetable disruption has had a significant impact, potentially putting some off using the train for good. Some have cancelled plans or travelled another way, while others felt anxious about it all going wrong.
'Avanti must continue to focus on ensuring that the trains run reliably, building trust for passengers. Giving passengers plenty of notice so they can book travel more confidently must be a priority.'
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