Train operating company Avanti West Coast is introducing Water Refill Points onboard all its Pendolino and Evero trains – and has released a video to publicise the move.
Following a successful trial, the refill points are now located in each train’s onboard shop, and provide water free of charge to passengers filling their own water bottles. Avanti West Coast assures passengers that they will find them easy to use.
By providing these refill points, the operator aims to reduce the amount of single-use plastic being consumed on rail journey, and therefore to reduce plastic waste.
Avanti believes that its onboard water refill provision is a first for the railway industry, although several operators already provide water bottle refilling facilities on their stations – including London Overground, Chiltern and Merseyrail.
Avanti has installed the refill points as part of a £450 million investment in its fleet of trains.
The company carried operational testing before launching the facility. During the three months of testing, passengers travelling on the Pendolino fleet consumed over twenty-one thousand litres of water, which is the equivalent of forty-two thousand standard-sized 500ml plastic water bottles
The water for the Pendolino refill stations is provided by Shropshire-based company Wenlock Spring. It comes from a protected historic spring, dating back to 1086, located near the nineteen-mile-long limestone escarpment known as Wenlock Edge. The water is dispensed from reuseable bottles, which are returned to Wenlock Spring to be refilled.
“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.”
Bob Powell, Head of Inclusive Customer Experience, Avanti West Coast
Responses