Avanti West Coast is the premier operator of services on the west coast mainline. Avanti trains masterfully link together towns and major cities to create a vital economic artery for the UK.
Aura has had a long, successful business relationship with Avanti West Coast, having partnered together on numerous occasions to help bring its brand to life and collaborate on nationwide projects.
As its livery is its greatest brand asset, Avanti West Coast takes great pride in using it to showcase an iconic identity. Because this was so important, they chose to work with us to produce and install graphics across the vast fleet.
We also understood that the livery would be the main first point of call for customers and clients, and that sustainability was a huge factor for them.
They ultimately decided to work with Aura because of our competitive prices, sustainable options, and first-class solutions that they knew could deliver their project flawlessly.
The project was a mammoth undertaking, as Avanti had 574 vehicles in total, with a 56 train set consisting of 11 & 9 car sets needing to be wrapped. As their livery is such a vital part of their identity, it was important to get it right and make sure that all boxes were ticked.
After a change to the original contract, Aura adapted the installation process to meet Avanti’s needs for the project. It was decided that the cab vehicles were to be wrapped first before moving on to the intermediate vehicles, with each being expertly installed with ease.
Our project manager Craig Illingworth ran the project smoothly with our team of specialist installers - overseeing the production, application, and working closely with Avanti, Alstom and Angel Trains to ensure all project targets were met on time.
As sustainability was paramount for the livery, we knew that we could provide Avanti with a range of greener options that would match their objectives perfectly. With a blend of full and partial wraps, all were wrapped in the non-PVC 3M 480 film from the 3M Envision range, paired with a 3M non-PVC anti-graffiti protection film. We also used water-based inks alongside the wraps, which were made of partially recycled materials.
Bringing together this bold livery was an incredible project to be a part of and a massive success. The end result was a cohesive fleet that put their branding at the forefront. Avanti was incredibly impressed with the fantastic quality of our product, how we worked with their brand team, and how we managed to incorporate all their brand values into the livery.
As the project had been a big win for sustainable graphics, this then led us to complete Avanti’s Climate Train livery for the COP26 in 2021. We were honoured to have been able to work on such an important project that highlights the fight against climate change.
Combining our sustainability goals with Avanti’s, we also used 3M non-PVC Envision film and 3M8588G overlaminate for this train. We used the 3M Envision range as they’re phthalate-free, partially made from bio-based materials, and made without chlorine or other halogens.
Another special train that we branded for Avanti was their renowned Pride livery, which was part of their Live Proud programme that aimed to celebrate the LGBTQ+ community and highlight the importance of diversity.
We look forward to the future of our partnership with Avanti West Coast, and many more collaborative branding projects on the horizon
