Rail passengers travelling with Avanti West Coast will start to benefit from a brand new service whereby they can have their food and drink delivered to their seat.

Whilst passengers in First Class have enjoyed service at their seat; trials are taking place on some Pendolino trains that could allow Standard Class passengers to order food and drink and have it delivered to them.

Passengers can now log on to the on-train WiFi using their phone, tablet or laptop and visit the website to choose their refreshments.

Passengers can pay for their refreshments via a credit or debit card, or if they wish to, PayPal is also available.

A Customer Service Assistant will then bring the order to their seat.

Avanti West Coast, who runs Pendolino trains from London to Edinburgh, Glasgow, Liverpool, Manchester and Birmingham, is also trialling a Click and Collect option for passengers to collect their refreshments from the onboard shop, ordering through the site, they will get a notification that their food and drink is ready.

While the trials take place, the onboard shop will remain open for passengers wanting to purchase their refreshments the more conventional way.

One customer, who used the service, said: “I didn’t need to leave my seat, and I was able to fully relax on my journey.”

Another said: “It gave me an enhanced perception that Avanti cares about my onboard experience.”

If successful, the service would run alongside the onboard shop on ALL Pendolino train services. The shop has now had protective screens installed and safety lines to promote social distancing.

“We’re always striving to improve the experience for our customers, and these new services will let customers choose the most convenient way for them to buy food and drink. The feedback so far has been really positive,” said Sarah Copley, Executive Director, Commercial at Avanti West Coast.

“For those travelling on their own or who don’t want to leave their seat – this is a perfect solution.

“Alongside our increased safety measures, this innovation enables customers to pay for their items digitally providing them with even more reassurance when they travel with Avanti West Coast.”

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