Will Avanti West Coast deliver? Manchester football fans question train operator’s capacity for FA Cup final travel

The match is expected to draw thousands of football fans from Manchester to London, raising concerns about the capacity and quality of transportation provided by Avanti West Coast.

Manchester United’s nail-biting penalty-shootout victory against Brighton on Sunday has confirmed an all-Manchester final, resulting in an outpouring of comments from fans expressing their concerns about the train operator’s services.

Months of disruption have seen the viability of the train operator’s contract with Manchester under fire.

Passengers were left gobsmacked last month after the firm had its contract extended for a further six months, as the Department for Transport said performance had been “steadily improving.”

And fans are sceptical about Avanti’s capacity to provide a reliable and safe service for such a large number of travellers.

On social media, fans asked if Avanti would run extra trains from Manchester to London on the day of the final and if they would run separate trains for City and United fans.

The train operator replied that as it stands, they are not aware of any additional services being run, but this may change closer to the time.

They also stated that they would not run separate trains for football fans.

The train operator appears to be running a normal service on Saturday 3 June, with the last train back to Manchester scheduled for 9.01pm from London Euston.

Avanti West Coast has assured the public that they are working with their partners and both clubs to provide travel advice to fans looking to travel to Wembley by train.

They plan to update their customers in due course with the latest travel advice once their plans have been finalised.

Despite Avanti’s promise to work closely with partners and clubs to ensure a seamless travel experience for football fans, concerns remain about the safety and reliability of their services.

Avanti West Coast has assured the public that they are working to provide travel advice and will update their customers once their plans have been finalised.

However, given months of disruptions and the contractual issues between Avanti and Manchester, it remains to be seen if Avanti West Coast can live up to the expectations of football fans travelling to London for the all-Manchester final.